If you’re looking to make huge commissions as an affiliate marketer, one of the easiest ways to make that happen is to join web hosting affiliate programs.

On the average, these programs offer $50 to $100 or even more per sale, and the demand for web hosting packages is ever booming.

Now, the number of web hosting affiliate programs available on the Internet is so overwhelming that you’d easily get confused when trying to choose which one to go for.

Worse, some of these programs are only out to waste your time and steal your commissions. But in this post, I’ll teach you how to choose the good ones. I’ll also recommend a number of reputable ones that you can register with.

Are you ready? OK, let’s get started.

What makes a good web hosting affiliate program?

Basically, a good web hosting affiliate program or network is one that:

offers quality products or services

tracks sales accurately

has a lot of satisfied affiliates

has a high conversion rate

has a long cookie duration

has friendly terms of service

has responsive support staff

So, any affiliate program that fails to meet these conditions is just bad. However, meeting these conditions doesn’t mean that a web hosting affiliate program suitable for you.

Here are all the factors you need to check when trying to determine if a web hosting affiliate program is right for you.

Service quality

The first and most important thing you must investigate about any web hosting company you’re looking to promote as an affiliate is the quality of their services. It makes zero sense promoting a web hosting company that offers a commission of $100 or more per sale, but actually offers poor-quality hosting services.

I once promoted a particular web hosting company on my blog. Their affiliate program pays a whopping $105 per sale. That’s attractive, no doubt. But I stopped promoting them when those who registered with the company through my affiliate link started complaining that their sites were loading too slowly. Before parting ways with the program, I personally confirmed that the problem was from the company — because they admitted it, and many of their customers posted the same complaint online.

The next program I promoted paid just $50 per sale, but their services are excellent. And I went with them notwithstanding the much lower commission because my integrity is paramount. Why should I trade the trust I’ve built over years for a few hundred dollars? It’s better to get paid $50 to promote a good service than to get paid $105 to promote a bad service.

Cost of service

Another important factor to consider when you’re scouting for the right affiliate program is the cost of service. That is, how much the customer will pay for the hosting package.

Since you’ll most likely be marketing to newbie bloggers and webmasters, you need to steer clear of web hosting services that are too costly. Bear in mind that most people would be reluctant to spend top dollars on hosting when they’re just starting out and still testing the waters of online business.

So, only promote web hosting services that are affordable, but of good quality.

Now, one important fact worthy of note is that most web hosting companies offer very cheap rates to first-time customers, but have far expensive renewal rates. So, if you’re promoting hosting packages for such companies, you need to tell potential buyers beforehand, how much they’ll be paying at the end of their first billing cycle.

Commission rate

Though not the most important, the commission paid for each sale is another factor you should consider. Of course, you’re into affiliate marketing to make money, and it’s just intuitive and smart to favor a bigger commission over a smaller one.

Commission figures and structure vary from program to program. Some web hosting affiliate programs pay $50, some pay less, and some pay more. And the figures even depend on the service you sell.

For example, the same web hosting company can pay $50 for each sale of shared web hosting (the basic, regular web hosting plans we know) and pay $200 for each sale of dedicated hosting (advanced web hosting plans for big organizations).

While I wouldn’t recommend you go with any web hosting affiliate program that pays less than $50 per sale, I’d also warn you not to jump at every attractive offer. Aside that you might be in for a scam, you need to realize that affiliate marketing isn’t all about commissions. The quality of what you promote is what matters most!

Tracking system accuracy

Each affiliate program uses a computerized system to keep track of clicks, sales, and commissions earned. A good affiliate program will track all these data accurately alongside other important details, such as the referring website, the buyer’s IP address, and so on. You can rest assured that such a program will give an accurate account of your sales and earnings.

However, some affiliate programs have poor or inaccurate tracking systems. Such programs will not register some of the sales made through your affiliate links and ultimately deprive you of some of your earnings. Though, many such programs will verify and acknowledge your sale if you contact them to inform them about it. But what when you’re not aware of the sale yourself? You’ll simply lose your money! I’m sure you don’t want that. So, you have no business with such programs in the first place, no matter how attractive their earnings are.

Conversion rate

As an affiliate marketer, you will be referring potential customers to the merchant’s website, hoping that they will eventually complete the sale.

However, whether the potential customer you referred to the merchant’s website will eventually complete the purchase or hit the “close” button depends on many factors, such as how easy and smooth the purchase process is, how attractive and user-friendly the merchant’s website is, and how compelling the words on the merchant’s website are.

The higher the conversion rate of an affiliate program, the better. So, stay away from affiliate programs that convert poorly.

Holding period

The holding period is the duration of time for which your commissions are held by the affiliate program before being made available for you to withdraw. Typically, web hosting affiliate programs have a holding period of 60 days. That is, your commissions will be held in “pending” status for 60 days before you can be able to withdraw them.

Why do you have to wait for 60 days? Because most web hosting services offer a 60-day money back guarantee to customers. So, they have to hold your money for the same period to ensure that the customers you referred to them do not request refunds or cancel their accounts. If the merchant pays your commissions before that period, and some of your referrals request refunds, they will bear the loss. That’s exactly what they are trying to prevent by holding your commissions.

However, some merchants have shorter holding periods (30 days) while some have longer (90 days). Just go with whatever pleases you, provided you’re not compromising on the most important factors.

Cookie validity period

The cookie validity period is the length of time for which you will be credited for a sale that follows an earlier click. If an affiliate program has a cookie period of 30 days, for example, it means if a potential customer clicks on your link today (but doesn’t complete the purchase instantly) and then completes his or her purchase anytime within the next 30 days, you’ll still earn commissions for that sale.

So, anyone who clicks on your link doesn’t have to complete the purchase instantly for you to earn your commission on that sale. But they must complete their purchase before the cookie validity period lapses.

Payment methods

Another important factor to consider before going with a web hosting affiliate program is the available methods of payment. This is very important if you’re in a country where popular payment methods like PayPal are not accessible.

Most web hosting affiliate programs pay through PayPal, some pay via check, some pay via direct deposit, and some adopt a combination of these options. So, before registering with any affiliate program, you want to be sure that they pay commissions through methods that you have access to.

Customer support

One of the hallmarks of good web hosting affiliate programs is responsive customer support. An ideal affiliate program should reply all email enquiries and complaints within 48 hours, and should provide the live-chat support option for instant correspondence.

You can test the responsiveness of an affiliate program’s support staff by sending them a test email asking a question about their program. If they should take more than 2 or 3 days to respond, then keep away from them. You’ll always find far better alternatives.

Customer reviews

One of the best ways to tell whether a web hosting affiliate program is good or bad is to search the web for reviews about the program. If you find more of negative reviews than positive, then stay away.

The good thing about online customer reviews is that they usually reveal details about a web hosting affiliate program regarding all the factors stated so far. So, even if checking for reviews is the only thing you want to do to check for a good program, do it extensively, and you’re unlikely to go wrong.

Now, bear in mind that you won’t find a single web hosting affiliate program that will have a positive rating of all these factors. In other words, there’s no perfect program, so don’t even try looking for one. What you should look for is a program that rates positively for as many of these factors as possible.

Top 5 best web hosting affiliate programs

With all of the above in mind, let’s now look at some of the best web hosting affiliate programs available at the moment.

Here are five reputable programs that are highly rated in terms of the factors discussed above:

1. Web Hosting Hub/ Inmotion Hosting affiliate programs

I’m putting both programs together because both companies are sister organizations and are similar in many aspects, including their respective affiliate programs.

Having hosted sites with both Web Hosting Hub and Inmotion Hosting, I know that both companies high quality hosting services. They both pay a commission of $50 per hosting plan sale. And for their cheapest shared hosting packages, they both charge around $84 for one year hosting (plus free domain name registration). But new customers can get cheaper deals by buying 2-year or 3-year plans.

Both affiliate programs have accurate tracking systems that ensure that all your sales are recorded. And their affiliate support personnel are responsive and professional. Payment from both programs is through PayPal, check, and direct deposit.

2. Namecheap affiliate program

Whenever the name “Namecheap” is mentioned, domain registration first comes to mind. But truth is, Namecheap doubles as a reliable provider of good-quality, yet quite affordable web hosting services.

I have many of my sites presently hosted with them, so I can talk about their quality of their services. Aside that they rarely have downtime, their customer support is one of the best you’d find in the web hosting industry. And you’d be awed that they’re providing all of that at dirt cheap prices.

The prices of Namecheap’s shared hosting plans start from $30.88 per year or $2.88 per month (whichever billing option you prefer).

On top of all that I’ve stated about Namecheap, the company also runs an affiliate program that you can trust. While the commission doesn’t look encouraging at face value (35% per sale for hosting packages and SSL subscriptions, and 20% for domain name registrations), you won’t go wrong with their program because you can rest assured that you’d get every commission you deserve – for promoting a service purely for its quality and not for the money!

Namecheap’s affiliate program is run via Commission Junction, Shareasale, and Impact Radius.

3. Bluehost affiliate program

Aside from being widely known for its high-quality hosting services, Bluehost also runs one of the web’s best affiliate programs.

The program pays $65 per sale, and their charge for one year hosting plus free domain name is around $75 (but 2-year and 3-year plans are cheaper). They pay via both PayPal. Payment is made after holding commissions for 30 days.

While I’ve not promoted Bluehost myself, I recommend them because I can vouch for their services and I know far too many successful webmasters who are promoting them. If the affiliate program sucks, it wouldn’t have been favored by so many people. And web would have been littered with negative reviews on the program – but I’ve yet to come across any.

4. Hostgator affiliate program

Having been a Hostgator customer since 2012 who has never had a single issue with them, I have no doubts that Hostgator offers high-quality web hosting services. I’m using their baby plan, which presently holds my 10+ sites without any hassles.

Until early 2016 or thereabout, Hostgator ran an in-house affiliate program alongside a third-party program on Commission Junction. Back then, the program was widely known for shaving affiliates’ commissions and cancelling sales for no justifiable reason. The Commission Junction version was better, though.

However, since Hostgator started running its affiliate program through Impact Radius in March 2016, they seem to have regained the confidence of many affiliate marketers. Having promoted another hosting company via Impact Radius in the past, I know how accurate the platform (Impact Radius) is in terms of sales and commission tracking.

In addition, Hostgator is generous in terms of affiliate commissions. They pay based on how many sales you make monthly ($50 for 1-5 sales, $75 for 6-10 sales, $100 for 11-20 sales, and $125 for more than 20 sales).

Payment is made via PayPal or checks after a holding period of 60 days.

5. Siteground affiliate program

Though I’ve not really used this program myself, a close friend of mine does. And I’m in fact planning to join them soon. Their services are of top quality, and they charge fairly (just around $40 for one year hosting plus free domain name registration). They pay based on how many sales you make per month. You earn $50 per sale for 1-5 sales, $70 per sales for 6-11 sales, and so on.

The greatest advantage of the Siteground affiliate program is that they pay every week. Yes, you can withdraw your commission within one week of referring a sale. But they do shave commissions at times (that is, they sometimes fail to credit you for your sale, which means you won’t get commissions for it.). They pay via Paypal, but if you register for their program through Commission Junction, you can withdraw your earnings via direct deposit to your Payoneer card.

Wrap-up

Now, you’ve understood what factors to look for when scouting for good web hosting affiliate programs. And you’ve figured five of the best options available now.

So, if the idea of making money by promoting these programs sounds cool to you, then register, start marketing, and start making money.

Virtually all blogging niches can support affiliate marketing, but not all niches can support marketing digital products and services such as web hosting packages, WordPress theme and plugins, mobile and desktop apps, e-books, and premium online courses.

Here, we’re focusing on digital products because they are easy to sell, they are in huge demand, and there are lots of them to promote and make money from. And most interestingly, they offer huge affiliate commissions that are enough to keep you motivated, especially if you’re just starting out.

For you to make money consistently by promoting a product or service on your blog, your audience must be interested in that product or service.

So, if you run a tech blog and use it to promote smartphones for Amazon, it’s expectable that you’d generate a lot of sales and commissions. Similarly, if you run a fashion blog and monetize it by marketing wears for WalMart, you stand the chance to make a lot of money. Why? Because you’re promoting products that your visitors will most likely be interested in.

Now, don’t expect to make money by promoting wedding rings on a tech blog or by promoting web hosting services on an entertainment blog. To make good money by promoting digital products, you need to run a blog that will attract people who will most likely be interested in buying such products.

Here are 17 topics you should consider blogging on if you really want to sell digital products or services consistently as an affiliate marketer.

17 best niches for affiliate marketing (digital products)

1. Blogging tips (for beginners)

Many people want to start blogging but don’t know how. So, consider starting a blog for the purpose of sharing valuable blogging tips and tutorials for beginners. Focus on encouraging them to start with WordPress (give them several convincing reasons to do so). And teach them how to set up and grow their WordPress blogs.

What to promote: Web hosting packages, WordPress themes and plugins, e-books or e-courses on blogging, software for SEO tactics.

2. Website design (for beginners)

A lot of people out there are yearning to learn how to design websites. Start a blog where you’ll teach basic website design stuff such as HTML, how to use basic web design software, and other related stuff through step-by-step tutorials that are easy to understand and implement.

3. Small business ideas and tips

More and more people are looking to start their own businesses in order to become financially independent. Start a blog where you’ll reveal brilliant small business ideas, their profit potential, and the requirements for starting them. Since most businesses now need a small website or blog to attract more customers, recommend the web hosting plans you promote to your readers.

What to promote: Web hosting packages, WordPress themes and plugins, e-books or e-courses on small business development, software packages for various business operations.

4. Technology

If you run a technology blog, chances are a good number of your readers would be interested in web hosting plans and other digital products – aside from the tech stuff you primarily share on the site.

5. Tips for better writing

Many people who aim to become bloggers, freelance writers, and celebrated authors would jump at any opportunity to learn how to write better. You can help them achieve that goal by teaching them how to improve their writing skills. Since chances are most of your readers would love to have their own blogs, you’d need to teach them some aspects of blogging, too.

What to promote: Web hosting packages, WordPress themes and plugins, e-books or e-courses on information marketing and freelance writing, software packages for e-cover designs and editing.

6. Coding/programming

If you’re a programmer, consider starting a blog where you’ll teach the art of coding. Since programmers and web developers need web hosting plans and other digital products for publishing and test-running their projects online, you’ll make money by encouraging them to buy the offers you’re promoting.

What to promote: Web hosting packages, WordPress themes and plugins, e-books or e-courses on programming, software packages for coding.

7. Self-improvement/motivation

A self-improvement and motivation blog attracts a wide range of people, including those who are looking to start an online business but cannot find the motivation. Use your words to spur them into action, and encourage them to go the way of WordPress.

8. SEO

Even though search engine optimization sounds simple, many Nigerian bloggers don’t know jack about it. And most of those who know about it are struggling to get it right. You can carve out a niche for yourself by blogging only on SEO techniques.

Trust me, you’d quickly attract an audience of newbie bloggers who are looking to boost their traffic through SEO. Since some SEO techniques can only be easily implemented on WordPress, recommend self-hosted WordPress to your readers, and encourage them to buy hosting plans through your affiliate link.

What to promote: Web hosting packages, WordPress themes and plugins, e-books or e-courses on SEO, software packages for various SEO tactics such as keyword research, competition analysis, etc.

9. Make money online

Though a saturated niche, you can still gun for it if you think you can present things from a fresh perspective. Since almost everyone looking to make money online would need a blog or website to achieve that goal, you’d make money consistently by recommending to them the web hosting service you’re promoting as an affiliate marketer.

What to promote: Web hosting packages, WordPress themes and plugins, e-books or e-courses on various online business models, software packages for SEO, social media marketing, etc.

10. Self-publishing

If you understand how to write short stories and sell them online either through a paid membership blog or through e-publishing outfits like Amazon, then start a blog where you can share your knowledge with others. There are many talented fiction and non-fiction writers out there who would greatly appreciate information that can help them monetize their talent. You can make money from them by encouraging them to set up blogs for attracting loyal readers.

What to promote: Web hosting packages, WordPress themes and plugins, e-books or e-courses on self-publishing, software for e-book design and formatting.

11. Online advertising

More and more Nigerian businesses are waking up to the reality that online advertising is one of the best ways to attract new customers in droves. This explains the increasing demand for valuable information on how to strategically advertise online and gain maximum return-on-investment (ROI).

If you’ve mastered the art and science of Facebook advertising or Google Adwords marketing, consider starting a blog to share your knowledge with others. Since most of your followers will be business owners or managers looking to advertise online, you’ll make money by encouraging them to set up a small business website as a first step.

12. Freelancing tips

Whether you’re a freelance writer, graphics designer, web designer, or SEO expert, you can make more money by starting a blog for the purpose of teaching other people how to become successful freelancers. Of course, a freelancer would need to set up an online portfolio. So, you can earn huge affiliate commission consistently by encouraging your readers to use a self-hosted WordPress blog for their portfolio.

What to promote: Web hosting packages, WordPress themes and plugins, e-books or e-courses on freelancing, software packages and mobile apps to ease the various tasks of a freelancer.

13. E-commerce

With more and more online shopping sites springing up every day, e-commerce is blossoming. But one sad truth is that most owners of these new e-stores lack the skills and knowledge required to grow their businesses to success. If you understand what it takes to build a successful e-commerce business, then start a blog for sharing e-commerce success tips—from tips on how to attract customers to tips on how to expand strategically. Such a blog will most likely attract new players who would be looking to host their e-commerce websites with reputable web hosting companies.

14. Information marketing

One of the easiest ways to make money online is to package helpful and valuable information into e-books and e-courses. If you understand how to achieve success with this, then start a blog where you’ll teach those who want to know how to achieve the same. Having a website is necessary for information marketing success, so make money by encouraging your readers to set up their own websites using the web hosting services you recommend.

15. Traffic tips

The biggest challenge faced by anyone in online business is generating traffic. So, if you know some little-known traffic generation tips and strategies, consider revealing them through a blog. By the side, make more money by recommending your “favorite” web hosting service to your readers.

16. Blog setup on WordPress

One of the smartest ways to consistently generate huge profits from web hosting affiliate programs is to start a small blog that teaches WordPress setup for beginners. Since setting up a self-hosted WordPress blog requires purchasing a hosting plan, most of your readers will readily buy the web hosting plans you recommend.

What to promote: Web hosting packages, WordPress themes and plugins, e-books or e-courses on other aspects WordPress setup, software packages and mobile apps for enhancing and growing a blog.

17. Affiliate marketing

If you understand affiliate marketing, how it works, and how to achieve success with it, consider starting a blog on that topic. Aside from teaching your readers how to succeed as affiliate marketers, you can recommend your web hosting program to them, since they will need to set up websites for promoting products and services as affiliates.

Now, can you blog on these topics if you don’t know anything about them? The answer is YES! All you need is a passion for your chosen topic and the zeal to learn fast about that topic. You will have to read loads of information about it every day and keep implementing and testing all you learn until you become a specialist at the topic.

If you already have a blog that is not related to any of these topics (and you really want to make money promoting digital products), then I’d recommend you set up a new blog. Why? Because only these and related topics can attract people who will most likely be interested in digital products and services.

Running a blog is one of the smartest ways to succeed as an affiliate marketer. Aside being a tool for quickly building trust and authority, a blog makes it much easier for you to generate sales repeatedly and helps you to gain admission into any affiliate program or network.

If you follow the success stories of seasoned affiliate marketers like Pat Flynn and Spencer Haws, you’d find that they have niche blogs created for various products and services they promote.

With the above in mind, let’s now look at the two options you have when it comes to setting up your blog: using a free platform and running a self-hosted blog.

Popular free blogging platforms include Blogspot (Blogger), WordPress.com, Tumblr, Weebly, and so on. These platforms allow you to create a blog for free. Usually, a blog created on such platforms usually bears the name of the platform as an extension of its URL.

So, for example, a free blog created on Blogspot has a URL that goes like sampleblog.blogspot.com, and one created on Tumblr has a URL like sampleblog.tumblr.com. No doubt, those extensions are ugly.

Although you have the option of using your custom domain name with a blog created on these free platforms, this is no way near having your own self-hosted blog, as there are still certain strong reasons why you shouldn’t run your affiliate site on these platforms.

Some of the reasons are explained below.

Affiliate marketing on Blogspot: Four reasons you should avoid it

1. Free is really not free

Virtually all free hosting platforms have one issue or the other. For WordPress.com, you’re by default not allowed to monetize your blog in any way, yet you have to live with some nasty ads that will be displayed around your content.

For Blogger.com, there are certain types of content that you’re not allowed to write about. And worse, you might just wake up one day to find your blog closed down by their overzealous bots for reasons you might never understand. This has happened to many people, so it’s not hearsay.

Just so you know, running a blogspot blog means you’re giving Google the rights to access, control, reproduce, and distribute your content over their affiliated channels as they deem necessary — even though you still hold the copyright ownership. So, think twice about this.

On the other hand, having a self-hosted blog gives you exclusive rights and absolute control over your content.

2. SEO handicap

One of the beautiful things about self-hosted WordPress blogs is their huge potential to get great results with SEO. And that’s because they allow full implementation of effective SEO strategies. This is not the case with Blogspot and other free blogging platforms.

For example, Blogger doesn’t allow the creation of a custom permalink structure, so there’s no way you can play some SEO game with that. Similarly, they don’t allow the installation of additional plugins, which means you can’t use powerful SEO plugins like WordPress SEO by Yoast and All-in-One SEO Pack.

If you think this deficit in Blogspot doesn’t have significant consequences, try searching Google for any sentence or phrase. Nine times out of ten, the top ranking links in the result pages would redirect to self-hosted blogs and websites, not to those on free platforms.

So, running your affiliate marketing site on Blogspot (or any other free platform) means you won’t be able to rank well on Google and other major search engines. And that’s by far the most effective passive ways to generate sales repeatedly.

3. Poor aesthetics

The user experience and aesthetic appeal of your affiliate marketing site play a huge role in convincing or discouraging readers from taking action. That’s why virtually all of the web’s highest earning affiliate sites are seductively appealing.

Truth is, only self-hosted blogging platforms give you the freedom to customize the look of your site anyhow you want it. On self-hosted WordPress, there are more-than-countable interesting themes and plugins for enhancing the looks of your pages. But with Blogspot, customization options are very much limited. And even the few options available can only get you a bland site at best.

4. Wrong signals

Whether it’s for affiliate marketing or any other purpose, a blog on a free hosting platform tends to send the wrong signals. Nowadays, whenever people see a Blogspot blog, thoughts like the following creep into their minds:

“This is most likely a scam site.”

“The information on this site can’t just be true. Let me find a better site.”

“This site is just an experimental project that will soon be dumped like the millions of its type littering the web.”

“This is another good site, but is owned by a stingy fellow who doesn’t take his online business seriously.”

You sure have nursed thoughts like these when you run into poorly designed sites — like most sites on free hosting platforms. So, if you really want to send positive signals about your affiliate marketing site and the products or services you want to promote, invest in a self-hosted blog.

So, what’s the better alternative?

Self-hosted WordPress (WordPress.org). It’s the easiest self-hosted blogging platform to understand and use. And it generates awesome SEO results. So, it’s no surprise that about one-third of all the sites on the Internet run on WordPress.

Since I started this blog, I’ve received countless messages from beginners who want to know the best and most profitable blogging niches or topics for Nigerian bloggers to choose from.

So, I came upon the idea of publishing this mega-post, which reveals over 20 proven lucrative online business ideas that Nigerians can explore. My aim is to make this the go-to guide for any Nigerian looking to make the right choice as to which online business opportunity to tap into.

Best & Most Profitable Blog Niches in Nigeria: Hot Ideas for Beginners

So, if your goal is to kick-start a profitable online business, this mega post will open your eyes to so many opportunities you never knew are existing.

Even if you’re already chasing shadows and wasting your precious time on entertainment/celebrity gist blogging and other online time-wasters, it’s never too late to retrace your steps.

Now, let’s dive right in!

Idea #1: Small business blog

With the worsening state of Nigeria’s economy comes saddening developments such as mass retrenchment of workers, dearth of jobs in the labor market, and lack of job security. This explains why millions of Nigerians are on the lookout for lucrative small business opportunities to explore — in a bid to achieve financial independence.

However, most people who want to start a business have one problem: they are confused as to which business to start. And this is because they have little or no knowledge of the various small business opportunities available in the country.

If you have a knack for research, you can quickly gather a loyal Nigerian audience by starting a small business blog that features quality and valuable information about each of the various small business ideas and opportunities available in Nigeria.

In addition, the blog can feature relevant tips on how to manage and grow a small business in Nigeria, lists of small businesses one can start with different ranges of startup capital.

You can monetize a small business blog with good traffic by selling e-books offering in-depth information on how to start various small businesses in Nigeria or on other topics that will be of interest to small business owners. Similarly, you can sell ad space, run contextual ads (Adsense, etc), and offer consulting services to small business owners.

Better yet, you can make things easier for yourself by focusing on just one small business opportunity, such as recharge card printing business, packaged water business, and so on. Just be sure to provide quality information that will help you build trust and get readers glued to your blog.

Idea #2: Agriculture blog

More and more Nigerians are turning towards starting their own businesses, and agriculture is one of the sectors most people are looking at because it involves relatively low capital, low risk, and no formal qualifications.

However, only few people have adequate information about the agricultural sectors as well as the business opportunities therein. So, starting an agriculture blog targeted at Nigerians is a smart way to reach those who want to start agriculture businesses but lack the required know-how.

On such a blog, you can publish step-by-step guides on how to start various agriculture-based businesses, such as poultry farming, snail farming, kolanut plantation, rubber plantation, and so on. You’ll be surprised at the number of Nigerians searching Google every day to find such information.

Once your audience grows to a decent size, you can monetize the blog by selling e-books that contain in-depth information on various agric-based businesses, selling ad space directly to advertisers, running Adsense ads, and rendering consulting services.

If you think agriculture is so wide that you cannot cover it on blog, consider narrowing your focus to just one or few profitable agriculture ventures that you have in-depth knowledge of. This is even preferred if you have a solid background or huge experience in one lucrative aspect of farming.

Idea #3: Fashion blog

Just as with every other people in the world, we Nigerians love fashion. And not only do we care so much about our appearance, we are also constantly searching the web for information on latest fashion trends and tips on how to look good. And to cap it, we spend heavily on wears and other fashion accessories.

The above drives home the point that anyone who starts a fashion blog at the moment would quickly build a huge Nigerian audience. So, if you’re a fashion freak or you wouldn’t just mind writing consistently on the topic, this is a good niche to explore, especially since there are only few Nigerian fashion blogs at the moment.

Because wears and fashion accessories are one of the products mostly ordered online in Nigeria, a fashion blog targeted at Nigerians has the potential to earn a huge monthly income through affiliate marketing. So, if you opt for this niche, you can promote products for Jumia and Konga in return for their attractive commissions. In addition, you can monetize the blog by selling advert space directly to fashion outfits and by running contextual ads.

Idea #4: Cooking blog

It might surprise you to know that many Nigerians cannot cook some of those meals you’re very good at cooking. Aside that, many Nigerians are just curious to know how to cook various local and foreign delicacies. And they go as far as searching the web for helpful information in that regard.

If you pride yourself on having great culinary skills or you just have an unflinching passion for cooking, consider starting a blog that shares information on cooking tips, recipes, and other related stuff. Such a blog would attract a huge Nigerian audience within a short period provided you play your cards right.

And when the blog starts to generate a decent amount of daily hits, you can monetize by selling ad space directly to advertisers (think manufacturers of seasoning, processed foods, etc.), selling e-books that contain recipes and diet plans, and running Adsense ads.

Idea #5: Job search tips blog

According to a recent research finding, only four out of every ten Nigerian graduates are employed. From that, you can rightfully deduce that there are millions of unemployed graduates in this country.

While there should be no doubt that there are no jobs to go around, another major reason why most graduates are unemployed is that they are simply unemployable. (I know this because I’ve had the opportunity to read formal pieces and CVs written by Nigerian graduates and have, on several occasions, questioned how such graduates made it out of school in the first place.)

But you’ll do well by starting a blog that teaches job-seeking graduates proven tips on how to boost their chances of getting a job — from tips on how to craft a killer CV to tips on how to prepare for job aptitude tests. Only few blogs offer such information at the moment, yet there are millions of potential readers. So, if you are passionate about that topic, now is the best time to start a blog on it.

There are many ways to monetize a job search tips blog. These include selling e-books on job search tips, packaging and selling CV templates and aptitude test questions and answers, selling ad space directly to advertisers, running Adsense ads, rendering CV and cover letter writing services, starting a recruitment agency, and so on.

Having vast knowledge of how things work in the Nigerian labor market will be an added advantage for anyone considering this option.

Idea #6: Oil and gas business blog

The oil and gas industry is undoubtedly the most lucrative business niche in Nigeria. Most Nigerian billionaires have investments in this money-spinning industry. And it’s the dream of majority of Nigerians to start an oil and gas business.

Although most opportunities in the Nigerians oil and gas sector are open only to big money investors, there are a handful of opportunities that can be explored by those who have smaller capital. Unfortunately, however, most people are unaware of these “inexpensive” opportunities.

If you’re highly knowledgeable of how things run in the oil and gas industry and are well aware of the various opportunities therein and how to explore them, starting a blog that focuses on that sector will be a smart move.

With several thousands of Nigerians willing to take their share of the oil and gas “pie”, you’ll build a large audience within a short period — provided you can really offer the information that most people will find valuable.

A blog that focuses on the oil and gas business can be monetized with Google Adsense ads, direct ads, e-books, and consulting services targeted at people looking to start an oil and gas business.

Note, however, that the only way to gather a loyal audience with such a blog is to have a solid background in the oil and gas industry. People can easily tell it when you’re trying to fake it.

Idea #7: Mini importation business blog

Before now, starting a business that involves importing goods from foreign countries and selling them required huge capital and other countless intricacies.

However, the story has now changed with the emergence of sites like Aliexpress and other online marketplaces that allow small- and medium-scale importers to connect directly with manufacturers in China and other countries. This innovation has made it possible for many Nigerians to venture into importation with as little as N10,000 — thus the name “mini importation”.

Even though the mini importation business has been around in Nigeria for some time now, there are still many people who want to take a plunge into the business, but are completely at sea as to what the business entails and how to get started.

If you deeply understand the success codes of the mini importation business, consider starting a blog that shares valuable and helpful information with people who are willing to get started.

For example, your blog could feature lists of hottest selling items in the local market that come from the manufacturer at cheap prices. Similarly, it can feature lists of reputable manufacturers and wholesalers that Nigerian importers can deal with. In essence, anything relevant to aspiring mini importers can go on the blog.

Once you’ve build a large followership, you can monetize with Google Adsense, ebooks, consulting services, and market research services.

Idea #8: Weight loss blog

Nigerians are becoming more and more aware of the multiple health risks of being overweight or obese. This explains why dieting, exercising, and other activities aimed at weight loss are becoming more popular in Nigeria.

Losing weight after gaining it is a challenge in itself, and most people find it so hard that they quit soon after starting their weight loss programs. But many people can easily achieve their weight loss goals with the help of a weight loss blog that features motivating weight loss stories of fellow Nigerians, dieting tips, daily routines for Nigerians looking to lose weight, recipes for weight loss meals, and so on.

If you have a good knowledge of proven fitness and dieting techniques, or you’ve gone through a weight loss program before, or you just have solid research skills, consider starting a weight loss blog. Aside that you’ll be helping many people shed those extra pounds that are making them sad, you’ll also get to make money in the long term.

Idea #9: How to travel abroad blog

If you ask every Nigerian what they hope to achieve this year, a significant percentage would tell you that they hope to travel to one foreign country. Every year, Nigerians travel to other countries of the world for varying reasons.

Regardless of destination and intended period of stay, the process of traveling out of Nigeria is practically the same: Get a passport. Get more information on how to travel to your intended destination. Apply for a visa. Schedule your visa appointment. And book your flight.

However, the fine details of each step vary by country, and Nigerians are constantly in need of these relevant details. Examples include tips on how to answer visa interview questions and how to apply for specific country’s visa. A blog that shares these and other proven information on how to travel to various countries (from Nigeria) would attract a large followership within a short period.

If you have the required research skills or deep knowledge of foreign travel processes, then this blogging opportunity is for you. If you think targeting many countries might be too much for you, consider focusing on just one country that several thousands of Nigerians are dying to visit (think U.S., U.K., Canada, France, Dubai, etc.)

Once you’ve built a large followership on your foreign travel blog, you can monetize it by selling direct adverts to airline operators and travel agencies, running contextual ads (Adsense, etc), rendering consulting services, and selling e-books.

Idea #10: Sexual health/fertility blog

Thousands of Nigerians — male and female — are battling various sexual health and fertility issues, such as premature ejaculation, fibroids, menstrual problems, and so on. You might not know this because most people facing these problems are usually shy to discuss it with their friends and relatives. However, they spend hours every day secretly searching the web for proven solutions to their problems.

You can make a lot of money in the long term by starting a blog that discusses sexual health and fertility issues and how to solve them. Now, you don’t necessarily have to be a medical practitioner to start such a blog. If you’re really passionate about that niche, all you need is the ability to research thoroughly into the subject and provide others with information that they will find helpful.

You can monetize such a blog by selling advert space directly to companies manufacturing products targeted at your audience and selling e-books that teach how to solve various sexual health and fertility problems. If you have a degree in medicine, you can add online consulting services to that mix.

However, there is a caveat: know your limits and don’t ever go beyond them! State clearly that the information on your blog is for informational purposes only and that it shouldn’t be taken as a substitute for professional medical advice.

In addition, don’t ever sell snake oil medications and other products, as this can ruin the reputation of your blog faster than anything else. This niche is lucrative, no doubt, but it’s also very sensitive.

Idea #11: Education blog

Millions of Nigerians students leave secondary schools every year and start seeking admission into the nation’s ivory towers. Similarly, those who have already secured admission are always on the lookout for scholarship opportunities, and graduates are looking for opportunities to study even further.

The above explains why the few blogs offering high quality information regarding UTME, post-UTME assessment examinations, tertiary institutions’ admission lists, scholarships, and so on generate tons of traffic every day. Nonetheless, the niche is still wide open to new players, provided they can offer value.

Another smart idea for standing out is to offer information about postgraduate studies, professional courses (ICAN, etc.), and opportunities to study abroad. You’ll be amazed at the number of Nigerians searching the web for such information every day.

There are many ways to monetize an education blog. You can run contextual ads (Adsense, Ad Dynamo, etc.), sell ad space directly to advertisers, sell post-UTME past questions and answers for different institutions (packaged into PDF format), and consulting/counseling services for people who seem to lost at certain points in their academic pursuits.

Idea #12: Stock market tips/reports blog

To many Nigerians, investing in stocks remains the best way to invest for the long term. Ironically, however, many of these stock investing enthusiasts know little or nothing about stock investment in Nigeria. So, they’ll greatly appreciate any blog that teaches beginners the basic of stock investing as it obtains in Nigeria.

In addition, most investors — beginners and experts — track the price fluctuations in the stock market on a daily basis. If you can provide live stock prices (or daily opening and closing prices, at least) on your blog, you’ll attract a large followership within a short period.

Once your stock market tips and report blog starts to generate decent traffic, you can monetize by rendering stock investment consulting services (this is perfect if you’re a stock broker). You can also write and sell e-books that teach either the basics of stock investing in Nigeria or consistent success tips for stock investors.

Idea #13: Healthy eating blog

The healthy eating niche is one of the most lucrative niches that will never pale into insignificance. Internet users are constantly looking for tips on how to live healthy and prevent conditions like cancer and cardiovascular disease by making necessary changes to their diet. They need information on what foods and drinks can help their health or worsen it.

If you have a knack for research and a passion for giving people helpful advice on how to eat healthily, then you can make a lot of money in the long term by starting a healthy eating blog, especially one that is targeted at a global audience rather than a Nigerian audience.

No doubt, there are already a number of strong players in this niche. But a smart way to stand out and gain traction is to streamline your focus. For example, you can restrict your blog to one that features tips on what to eat and what to avoid eating during pregnancy, healthy eating tips for kids, healthy eating tips for seniors, special diets and recipes, and so on.

Idea #14: Natural remedies blog

The natural remedies niche is another health niche that offers irresistible profit opportunities. More and more people all over the world are becoming aware of the side effects of some hospital-provided medications. This, coupled with the fact that most prescription drugs and other hospital-provided treatment procedures are expensive, explains why people are now turning towards natural remedies.

Millions of people search the web everyday for natural remedies for various conditions, ranging from mild ones like common cold to serious ones like diabetes and cancer. So, a blog that offers quality information on natural remedies has the potential to start generating huge traffic and revenue within a matter of months.

If you can research extensively on natural remedies, then you can start blogging on this niche. You can start small by focusing on a smaller fraction of that niche, and then expand your focus with time.

A successful natural remedies blog can fetch huge profits from contextual ads by Adsense and Media.net. Such a blog can also be monetized through affiliate marketing, direct sales of ad space, e-courses, and e-books.

Idea #15: Tech tutorials blog

As with most other countries in the world, Nigeria abounds with tech-based products and services that we all enjoy every day. Although most of these products and services are easy to handle (to some extent), most Nigerians cannot handle it when things get beyond certain points. This is why many Nigerians search the web for tips on how to use the WiFi hotspot feature on their smartphones, tips on how to recharge their satellite TV credits, tips on how to use online payment services, and so on.

If you enjoy helping other people solve their problems and have a knack for anything tech, then you can start a tech tutorials blog targeted at Nigerians. Many people will appreciate your blog for helping them quickly solve common problems they might have with their tech products and services.

Once a tech tutorials blog starts to generate decent traffic, you can monetize it by selling e-books, running contextual ads, rendering freelance or consulting services, and selling ads space directly to advertisers.

Bear in mind that you need a fine dose of creativity to succeed in this niche, or you’ll end up writing on topics that have been beaten to death on other blogs.

Idea #16: Nigerian superlatives blog

From my experience I’ve figured that Nigerians are always eager to read posts with topics like, “Top 10 most beautiful cities in Nigeria”, “Top 10 best universities in Nigeria”, “10 richest actors in Nigeria”, and so on.

I’m sure you’ve been compelled to read such posts in the past. Well, you’re not alone; several other Nigerians are attracted to such topic, too. And not only do people read such posts, they also share them on social media.

So, any blog set up for the purpose of publishing interesting posts on Nigerian superlatives will grow rapidly because such topics tend to go viral. However, to start such a blog, you must have solid research skills, as you will need to go extra miles to ensure that the information you provide is authentic and citable.

A blog about Nigerian superlatives can be monetized through sales of advert space (advertisers love blogs like this) and display of contextual ads (Adsense, Addynamo, etc.)

Bear in mind that this idea will most likely result in a multi-niche blog. So you need to be versatile writer.

Idea #17: Make money online blog

With more and more Nigerians becoming aware of the countless money making opportunities available on the Internet, the make money online niche has become more lucrative than ever. Who doesn’t want to make money from the comfort of their homes? Who doesn’t want to live the “dot com” lifestyle?

So, starting a blog that shares information on various ways to make money online is a great idea. But it’s only for those who have succeeded at making money online in one way, at least. Trying to teach people how to make money online when you’re not making money online yourself will only result in wasted time and energy. People are smarter, and they can quickly detect it if you’re fake.

Most Nigerians who have tried their luck with making money online have been left disappointed. Some have been scammed by snake oil marketers who are hustlers themselves, but pretend to me making six-figures online by flaunting photoshopped screenshots of mouth-watering earnings reports. Others have been frustrated because they didn’t learn the ropes before taking a plunge. The result of all these is that Nigerians have become smarter are now skeptical about jumping at “make money online” opportunities.

Although many Nigerians are still willing to give online business a shot, they will no longer fall for any gimmicks or fake tactics. So, if you don’t have any practical tips to share — with proof that those tips are really working — I’d advise you to steer clear of this niche.

A make money online blog can be monetized in any way you can think of — direct ad sales, contextual ads, e-books, e-courses, affiliate marketing, consulting, freelancing, and so on.

Idea #18: Relationship and marriage advice blog

Nigerians are constantly seeking for advice on how to keep their relationships and marriages going smoothly. In addition, most Nigerians are eager to read stories about other people’s relationships and marriages — their challenges, their success stories, etc. So, a blog in this niche would attract a large audience quickly, no doubt.

If you have a passion for helping other people mend faults in their relationships and marriages, this idea might just be the best option for you. But you must be able to prove your experience for people to take you seriously. If you’re not married, no married person will ever seek or heed your advice (you know the reasons).

There are limited options when it comes to monetizing a relationship and marriage tips advice blog. But you can still make a decent income through contextual ads and affiliate marketing.

Idea #19: Football blog

Nigerians, especially males, are crazy about soccer. Millions of Nigerian football enthusiasts follow the English Premier League and other foreign football leagues religiously. And now, most discussions among Nigerian men are deemed incomplete without arguments and debates about European football.

Well, it might interest you to know that those debates and arguments hold online, too. This explains why a blog that features news and gist about European football will quickly attract a large audience. So, if you’re a soccer aficionado yourself, starting a football blog is a great idea.

Bear in mind that you must be able to keep abreast of latest happenings in the soccer world, and you must always be ready to post them on your blog. If that means no big deal to you, then you’re good to go.

You can monetize a high-traffic football blog through contextual ads, direct sales of ad space, affiliate marketing (promoting sporting kits, etc.), and selling your own products (such as original jerseys).

Idea #20. Hot discounts and promo offers blog

Everyone loves to buy things for cheap — and we Nigerians aren’t an exception. You’ll attract a huge audience if you start a blog that breaks news about discount offers, promos, and price comparisons. Although you’ll spend lots of time on research, you’ll be amazed at how people will engage with your blog and at how advertisers will be queuing to buy ad space on your blog.

And there you have it!

Now, you’ve discovered many hot business ideas that can work for anyone here in Nigeria. If you’ve been looking to start blogging or any other online venture but have no idea which option to go for, I’m sure this report will help you make a well-informed decision.

But… what about entertainment and celebrity gist blogging?

You might be wondering why I have left the idea of starting an entertainment and celebrity gist blog. Make no mistake, the likes of Linda Ikeji and Bella Naija are making money big time in the entertainment niche.

But the truth is, that niche has been beaten to death. Everyone and their dog now want to become an entertainment and celebrity gist blogger because Linda Ikeji is doing the same. And they end up copying and pasting the same posts and gist that people have read on other blogs. How can you succeed with such a model?

If it took Linda Ikeji 4 years to start making money from blogging at a time when only a few people had blogs, you can imagine how long it will take you to start making money from a blog in the same niche now that there are hundreds of thousands of blogs owned by Nigerians. The competition is stiff, and chances are you’ll get lost in the crowd. So, its better you don’t go in there at all.

OK, you’ve chosen an idea, so what next?

After choosing the idea that seems fine with you from the list, your next step is to set up your blog, which is the platform you’ll use to establish credibility and demonstrate your knowledge or expertise.

Now, I strongly recommend that you get started with a self-hosted WordPress blog (WordPress.org). Blogger has so many limitations, aside the fact that you can lose your blog anytime.

If you’ve been seriously searching for genuine information on how to make money online in Nigeria legitimately in 2019, you just landed on the right page.

Now, get this clearly: This is not another “buy my e-book” page. And it’s not a compilation of the same crappy stuff that you’ll find all over the place.

Rather, this is a detailed eye-opening post written by someone who has really been making money online in Nigeria for years. No bullshit. No lies. No hype. And no crappy fluff. Just straight and plain facts based on my own knowledge and experience.

Enough said. Let’s get straight to business.

Starting and running an online business is one of the coolest ways to make money nowadays.

Only a few things could be more freeing than starting your workday whenever you like, running and promoting your business from any location, and making nice bucks as your own boss.

Although, it’s not as easy as it sounds, running an online business could be much easier than running a brick-and-mortar business. And if you’re like many people out there, you already understand this fact.

What exactly is an online business?

Just as the name implies, an online business refers to any profitable venture that is operated over the Internet and that you have significant control over.

So, this definition excludes stuff like online betting, get-paid-to schemes, Ponzi schemes and other ventures that you can’t control or that do not involve offering a real product or service.

There are various types and models of online business, and they can be classified or categorized in various ways.

Common examples of online business models include:

Freelancing: Offering a service such as writing, web design, graphics design or proofreading to clients online and getting paid on a per-project basis.

Affiliate marketing: Promoting products or services for companies and getting paid each time a customer makes a purchase through your efforts.

Information marketing: Packaging some valuable information into an e-book, video, or e-course, and selling it online to people who are desperately in need of it.

Online retail: Offering physical products for sale to interested customers and delivering orders to their doorsteps or preferred delivery locations.

There are several other examples, many of which you’ll get to know later. For now, let’s continue discussing the basics.

Based on the specific income model, online businesses can be broadly classified into two types: active businesses and passive businesses.

Active businesses

These include any form of online business, in which the income generated depends on your activity. The more you work, the more you earn. A good example is freelance web design, in which you get paid each time you design a website for a client. And your total income at the end of each month depends on the number of projects you were able to complete within that month.

In an active business model, your income stops immediately when you decide to stop working. It’s a no-work-no-income thing.

Passive businesses

These are also known as autopilot businesses. In simpler terms, they are businesses that can continue to generate income even if you don’t actively work on them for some time. You probably have heard some people claim that it’s possible to make money while in your sleep. That’s a good description of passive income.

A good example is a product review website modelled to generate income through affiliate marketing. If such a website is well structured and loaded with quality content, it will continue to fetch its owner decent income without much effort from the owner’s end — for as long as it continues to pull organic traffic from search engines.

But the truth is, passive income isn’t as easy as sounds. Before you can grow an online business to the point where it starts generating money passively, you must have invested a lot of time and effort and probably some money. After the site starts to gain traction and generate income, you can cut down on your activity and still have your cool cash coming in steadily. But, again, it’s not an overnight thing. Sometimes, you’ll have to work hard and wait for up to one year or even longer to start seeing results.

How do people make money online?

From the classifications and models of online business I’ve just given, you should have deduced one golden fact: To make money online, you have to sell something — be it a product or a service offered by you or someone else.

As a freelancer, you make money by selling your services to clients online. As an information marketer, you make money by selling your knowledge to others. As an affiliate marketer, you make money by selling products created by others and getting compensated with a commission on each sale. And as an online retailer, you make money by selling physical (or digital) products to consumers online. So, every online business involves offering value in the form of a product or a service. And that’s how everyone in online business makes money.

Online business vs. offline business: similarities and differences

Doing business online has some similarities with running an offline business, just as there are differences between the two.

Let’s start with the similarities.

Both options require the investment of time, energy, and money. However, the amount of money required to start an online business can be very much less than that required for an offline business. This is not the case all the time, though, as there are some online businesses that can be more capital-intensive than most small-scale businesses run offline.

It’s important to note that neither option is a get-rich-quick scheme. So, if you’re shying away from investing in an offline business because you think it might take some time to start raking huge profits, you won’t find solace in online business, either.

Another similarity between online business and offline business is that both can fail woefully due to different reasons. While offline businesses usually fail due to poor management, bad marketing practices, and other easy-to-discern factors, online business can fail due to reasons that are even more covert. In fact, there are times when not much explanation can be given as to why an online business has failed.

Now, let’s go to the differences.

The main difference lies in the flexibility of management. While you can run an online business from any location, your physical presence is needed for the day-to-day running of any offline business. This explains why all you need to run an online business are just your PC and a reliable Internet connection.

So, by now, you should have learned these two straight facts about online business:

It’s not an easy shortcut to financial breakthrough

It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme

Examples of successful Nigerian online businesses

If you would like to see online business in practice, then there are more-than-countable examples owned and run by Nigerians. And here are some very popular ones:

Nairaland: An online forum for Nigerians that features interesting discussions on a wide range of topics related to Nigeria and beyond. Presently, the forum has close to 2 million registered members.

Linda Ikeji’s Blog: Arguably the most popular blog in Nigeria. It’s popular for entertainment news and celebrity gossips. The blog earns its income from ads and sponsored posts.

BellaNaija: A lifestyle, fashion, and entertainment blog owned by Uche Eze. It also generates revenue from ads and sponsored posts.

Whogohost: A web hosting service provider offering various web hosting packages as well as domain registration and reseller hosting.

Jobberman: Nigeria’s first and most popular online job website. It generates revenue from ads, sponsored job vacancy placements, joint ventures, and premium services such as CV writing.

HotNigerianJobs.com: Another online job website that connects job seekers with available job positions all over the country. It generates income from ad placements.

Tolet.com.ng: A property listing website featuring information about houses, land, and other property available for lease/rent all over the country.

Wakanow.com: An online travel and flight booking website.

Konga.com: An online retail marketplace where Nigerians can buy physical products online and have their orders delivered right at their doorsteps.

Jumia.com.ng: Similar to Konga.

Paystack: An online payment solution that allows Nigerians to receive payments from customers through their websites.

Naijaloaded.com: An online all-round entertainment platform that is popular for offering Nigerian music audios for free download. It also features news, celebrity gossip, and other entertainment-related stuff.

Remita.net: An online payment processing portal that allows Nigerians to make and receive payments online.

Cheki.com.ng: A car listing website featuring both Nigerian- and foreign-used (“tokunbo”) cars available for sale. Brand new cars are sometimes listed, too.

Is it true that everyone and anyone can make money online?

Forget about whatever beautiful picture of online business some desperate skunks might have flaunted in your eyes. Truth is, online business is hard, and it’s not for everyone. That is, not everyone has what it takes to start it in the first place. And not everyone who has all the requirements to start would eventually succeed at it.

To start an online business, you’ll need the following:

An efficient laptop (tablets and mobile phones are not advisable because they don’t work well for some tasks involved in running an online business)

A reliable Internet connection

Some money (not required in all cases, though)

Now, that’s not all. You’ll also need the following intangible “tools”.

Good writing skills (most online business models require this)

Patience and determination (there will be times when you’ll feel like just quitting for good)

Ability to learn new things fast (you’ll need to understand how to handle some simple to fairly complex tasks yourself)

The zeal to keep learning (things change fast, and you need to constantly keep abreast of latest trends)

A good source of income (start with online business as a side venture, not something you’re expecting to start fetching you decent income within days to few months)

So, going by these requirements, it’s absolutely correct to say that online business isn’t for anyone who lacks any of them. However, there might be a way to get around some of these requirements. For example, if you’re not a very good writer and your chosen online business model requires good writing skills, you can pay someone else to write content for you. But there’s no such alternative for most of the other requirements.

30+ Ways to Make Money Online in Nigeria

There are more-than-countable practical, realistic, and legitimate ways to make money online here in Nigeria. But choosing the right online business to start is the biggest challenge for most people. If you’re facing the same challenge, here are over 50 smart, sustainable, scalable, and profitable online business ideas you can launch right away and start making cool money from.

1. Freelancing

Freelancing entails rendering a specific service to other people on a pay-per-contract basis. That is, rather than receive a fixed monthly wage, you get paid per project. Working online as a freelancer means there’s no limit to how much you can earn each month. And you’re not formally or legally tied to one employer.

Your choice of services to render to clients online as a freelancer hinges on your skills. While there are many services that cannot be rendered remotely, there are several others that you can handle for clients over the Internet, regardless of the physical distance between you and them.

Some services are particularly in huge demand online, and you can make a killing rendering them as a freelancer. Here are some of them.

a. Writing

With more and more businesses and individuals getting to understand that quality content is one of the keys to success in online marketing, the demand for high quality writing services has continued to boom.

Freelance writers are needed to craft quality content for corporate websites, blogs, social media accounts, email newsletters, e-books and reports, and so on. So, if you have uniquely solid writing skills and zero tolerance for grammatical, spelling, style, and punctuation errors, you should consider launching your freelance writing business, and you’ll be on your way into a large and booming market.

While you have the option of being a “generalist” freelance writer, you can command more authority and make even more money by specializing on specific writing tasks, such as:

b. Graphics design

They say a single image is better than a thousand words. That’s true — even on the Internet. Most individuals and businesses looking to improve their online presence understand that catchy images will help to achieve that goal faster than even the most compelling epistles. This explains why there is increasing demand for graphics such as business or website logos, website header banners, infographics, ad banners, e-covers, landing page designs, and so on.

If you’re good at creating unique images that attract attention and send the desired signals to the beholder, then you can make some cool bucks by rendering graphics design services as a freelancer.

c. Virtual assistance

Hiring personal assistants and secretaries to help with certain personal assignments is a common practice among business owners and managers as well as political office holders. But what’s becoming even more common these days is the practice of hiring virtual assistants who handle specified tasks from a remote location rather than being physically present.

Many web-savvy individuals now prefer to hire virtual assistants because this obviates the need for extra office space and facilities. If you have the basic equipment and skills required to work as a virtual assistant/secretary, consider starting out as one. Basically, you’ll need a computer and reliable Internet connection as well as fast typing skills, ability to work with little or no supervision, and ability to pay attention to detail.

d. Typing

If the ability to type at the speed of lightning is all you can boast of, that’s fine. You can make a living off of that by handling typing assignments for clients online.

There are many people out there who are looking to type big-volume documents, web content, and so on. And most of the time, such assignments are urgent, thereby requiring someone who can type fast. If you know the right places to find such assignments online, you’ll get a lot of good-paying gigs.

e. Translation

If you understand more than one major language, then you’ve got a money-spinner in you. With more and more businesses trying to break into foreign markets, the demand for translators is booming. So, it won’t be a bad idea to launch a business that involves helping individuals and businesses to translate their promotional documents and web content from one major language to another.

Examples of the most widely-translated languages include English, French, Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Spanish, and Russian.

f. Audio or video transcription

Audios and videos are effective tools for learning — and there’s no getting around that. But for many webmasters and businesses with an online presence, there’s always a reason to render the content of their audios and videos into readable text. This is where freelance video transcribers are required.

If you’re gifted with the ability to pick every detail from recorded audio or video clips, consider starting a freelance transcription service. To get started, you won’t need more than your PC, Internet connection, and a good quality headphone.

g. Website design or development

Chances are you already know that the Internet is a network of web pages. But it might interest you to know that about 600 new websites are created every minute. That’s 10 new websites per second! So, the booming demand for website design and development services is quite expectable.

If you can set up new websites that look cool and professional, and you don’t balk at the idea of getting your hands dirty with coding, then starting your own freelance website design or development business can place you on the pedestal of financial independence for life. If you’re not skilled in this area or you have just rudimentary skills, you can enroll for some relevant courses, and within a couple of months you’d be in business — that’s if you’re interested in it.

h. Search engine optimization

The most effective way for a business to generate traffic and attract new customers online is to appear as prominently as possible in search engine result pages whenever queries related to that business’s offers are submitted. Virtually all businesses with an online presence have this as one of their most important short or long term goals. And that’s why more and more businesses are setting aside a huge fraction of their marketing budget for this strategy alone. What this means is more business and big money for SEO experts.

If you never fret each time you have to learn new things quickly, master the use of analytical tools, conduct lots of experiments, and work your tail off just to get results for other people, freelance SEO might just be the perfect business idea for you. Don’t know jack about it? That’s nothing to worry about. By reading lots of valuable resources and enrolling for quality online courses on the subject, you’ll master it sooner than you ever imagined.

i. Programming

If you eat, drink and live code, then you can convert your skills into cool cash by helping clients develop their own web-based apps, mobile apps, desktop apps, databases, plugins, and themes. With increasing demand for websites with specialized functions, mobile and web-based applications, software, and others, there are more than enough opportunities for anyone who is a wizard at coding.

j. Professional services

If you’re a professional in any field, you can make lots of extra cash by rendering your services on contract basis. For example, if you’re a seasoned accountant, you can handle accounting tasks for remote clients over the Internet.

Similarly, if you’re a seasoned attorney, you can offer legal advice or complete legal paperwork for clients over the Internet. The same applies to any other professional field. All you need to succeed with this option is a mix of professional expertise, good marketing skills, and stellar customer support service.

k. Editing and proofreading

Do you pride yourself on having mastered virtually all the rules of grammar, punctuation, spelling, and consistency? Do you have a keen eye and zero-tolerance for all forms of errors in any piece of writing? If you answered both questions in the affirmative, then you should consider starting out as a freelance editor and proofreader.

Content is one of the major drivers of the Internet, and it only sends the right signals when it’s professionally written and error-free. This explains why the demand for editors and proofreaders has been on the high.

2. Services arbitrage

This is a smart idea for those who can attract clients but have no skills to offer. For example, if you’re active on an online forum where members constantly require the services of freelance graphics designers and you don’t know jack about graphics design, you can simply take up the projects and then find a good designer who will handle provide quality outputs. In short, you’ll play the role of a middleman and make money by taking your cut off what clients pay for the job. So, if you know the designer would charge $40 to design a logo, charging the client $100 would fetch you $60 in profit — for just being a middleman.

Similarly, you can find an individual or company that sells cars or furniture offline, and tell them you’d be willing to bring them customers in return for an agreed-upon commission per sale. Then take pictures of the products they currently have for sale and promote those products online (through classified ad sites, forums, social media, etc.). Imagine earning a profit of N50,000 per car or furniture sold through your efforts. And imagine how much you’d be making if you can close three to four sales per month!

To succeed with this model of online business, you’d need to be a marketing workhorse. And you’d need to work with freelancers who really know their stuff and are deadline-oriented. Your aim here is to ensure maximum client satisfaction. By leveraging this model, you can start your own content marketing agency, SEO agency, digital marketing agency, or what have you.

3. Retail arbitrage

This idea simply entails buying products at cheap prices (online or offline) and selling them online at higher prices. It goes without saying that your aim is to make a profit from the price difference.

For example, assume you order 100 pieces of iPhone 7 cases from AliExpress for just $100 ($1 per piece), and you pay $50 to ship to your country, you’d have invested a total of $150. If you go ahead to sell the cases at $5 each on your local Amazon platform or any other online retail outfit, you’d realize a total of $500 in sales and $350 in profit. That’s how it works. If you find that alluring enough, consider giving it a shot.

4. Website flipping

If you’re familiar with real estate development, then you’d easily understand what website flipping entails: You buy a website or start it from scratch, increase its value with high quality content until it starts generating income, and sell at a price much higher than what you’ve invested in it.

Many people out there want to join the bandwagon of online business but don’t want to go through the hassles of starting from scratch or wait too long to start making money. Such people prefer to buy online businesses that are already generating income. So, for website flippers, there’s a large market to serve. And that’s why several websites and other online assets are sold daily on platforms like Flippa and Empire Flippers.

5. Domain name flipping

This simply entails registering domain names that have some presumed value and reselling them at much higher prices. When compared with website flipping, domain name flipping is much simpler and straightforward. You won’t have to build a website or craft content repeatedly. And you won’t have to spend time, energy, and money on traffic generation.

Although it’s seemingly easy, domain name flipping has it’s many tricky aspects that you must take your time to learn about before taking a plunge. If you really know how to play your cards well, a single domain sale can fetch you six figures in dollars. But truth be told, with several thousands of new domains being snagged up every day, domain name flipping is becoming more difficult.

6. Forex trading

One of the oldest online businesses, Forex trading simply entails trading in currencies online and making profit from slight increments. This business is a like a two-edged sword. It can be very profitable, and it can fetch huge, disastrous losses. Even expert traders who have been in the business for decades do lose on occasions. So, you really need to take your time to train hard before getting into the live market.

7. E-currency exchange

This simply involves buying and selling funds in the form of e-currencies and cryptocurrencies. For example, if you buy one Bitcoin for $750, you can sell to someone else at $800. That’s $50 in profit. In a similar way, you can deal in PayPal funds, Payoneer funds, Payza funds, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and so on. Although, you’ll add tiny margins per unit currency most of the time, those can add up to huge profits with multiple transactions.

As more and more e-currencies and cryptocurrencies continue to grow in terms of recognition and acceptance, the e-currency exchange market is getting more lucrative.

8. Online consulting

If you have a huge wealth of experience in any aspect of life that people are yearning to learn more about, you can turn that experience into cool cash by offering consulting services online. For example, if you’re a small business consultant who has helped a lot of people set up successful small businesses in Nigeria, you stand the chance of making a fortune as an online small business consultant. That’s because the country’s harsh economic situation is prompting more and more people to look beyond salary jobs and start their own small businesses by the side. This explains why there are millions of search queries related to various small businesses in Nigeria.

Aside small business, other areas in which consulting would be lucrative include travelling abroad, job search, educational pursuits, agriculture, passive investment opportunities (stocks, binary options, etc.), and making money online. Note, however, that this online business option would require building credibility first. Without establishing yourself as a credible expert in the field you want to be a consultant in, nobody would patronize you — since people only patronize reputable and popular consultants.

9. Online tutoring

If you’re particularly good at imparting knowledge on others and have some “in-demand” knowledge you can share with others through any medium, then this is for you. You can make money online by organizing online training sessions and charging your students. These sessions can be rendered as webinars, live chats, phone calls, video calls, and other convenient methods.

So, if you know a lot about stuffs like digital marketing, website design, SEO, programming, social media marketing, and other subjects that can be conveniently taught remotely, consider starting your online tutoring platform right away. And interestingly, you can even run physical, one-on-one sessions for those who request that.

10. Blogging for ad revenue

This is no doubt one of the most popular and most sought-after online business options in Nigeria — thanks to the low barriers to entry. Anyone can start a blog and publish posts consistently on any topic without having to spend a fortune to start. Some even don’t spend a dime until they start making money from their blogs. But as rosy as this might look, it’s actually getting uglier and more difficult by the day. Nonetheless, there’s still enough room and huge chances of success for new entrants who are ready to play their cards right and stand out from the crowd.

Here’s what blogging for ad revenue entails: You start a blog that centers on a topic you’re interested in or knowledgeable about and that a lot of Nigerians are interested in, as well. Then you consistently publish valuable, helpful, or entertaining information (depending on your chosen topic or niche) that people would find interesting.

At the same time, keep working hard to promote your blog using social media and other online platforms until you’ve grown a large followership or your posts have started pulling huge traffic from search engines. That’s when you put up ads on your blog and earn income from them. These ads could be automatically displayed by ad networks (Google Adsense, etc.) or directly sponsored by businesses whose target customers form part of your blog audience.

11. Affiliate marketing

Another popular way to make money online that is easy to venture into, affiliate marketing involves promoting other people’s products or services and getting paid a specified commission on each sale made through your efforts. You can adopt any promotional strategy that is permitted by the businesses you’re marketing for.

However, the method most people use is to set up an informational website or blog dedicated to promoting the offer. Such a blog will feature lots of valuable and helpful information about the product/service being promoted. This method is not only cheap, but it also converts like crazy because valuable information about any offer helps the potential buyer make well-informed decisions. Such a buyer will not hesitate to follow your recommendations and ultimately make purchases that will in turn fetch you generous commissions. Other methods for promoting products and services as an affiliate marketer include social media marketing, email marketing, forum marketing, and offline marketing. These other methods can be far more expensive, but they usually bring faster results when implemented correctly.

12. Information marketing

You sure would have run into lots of web pages and online ads persuading you to buy an e-book or video pack, enroll for an online course, or subscribe to a paid membership site. That’s information marketing in practice. It simply involves packaging some in-demand information and selling it in the form of an e-book, video, or online course. So, if you have deep knowledge of one or more topics, related or not, that a lot of Nigerians are search the web for and don’t mind paying to acquire, consider starting your own information marketing business.

Note, however, that this business option isn’t as sweet as it sounds. Before you can get to the point where people will buy your information products without thinking twice, you must have invested a lot of time and energy into building an expert reputation and credibility. How? By offering loads of free information on the same topics you’ve created paid products on.

Once you’re able to convince people that you really know your stuff and you can be trusted and taken for an expert, they’ll readily buy whatever you pitch at them. If you try to put up sales pages right after creating your information product (in a bid to start making money right away), you’ll fail like never before! People are hard to convince these days, so before you can get them to part with their hard-earned money, you must have proven beyond doubt that they won’t regret doing that.

13. Online directory

If you’ve ever visited sites like Vconnect and Nigeria Galleria, then you already know what an online directory looks like. If you’re good at research and collating information, this might be a good idea for you. You can set up a general online directory that features businesses across various industries and their contact details, but it’s better to go the niche way — at least for start. By “niche way”, I mean covering only a specific industry or geographical location.

So, it’s no doubt a smart idea to start an online directory that features only businesses and companies in Abuja or Port-Harcourt, or one that features only oil and gas businesses in Nigeria. You might be wondering how online directories make money. Well, they do by featuring sponsored listings and placing ads. Some directories also earn revenue through lead generation for featured businesses.

14. Classified ads site

Unless you just recently had access to the Internet for the first time in your life, you sure would have visited or heard of sites like OLX.com.ng and Jiji.ng. Those are the two most popular classified ad websites catering to Nigerians at the moment. In case you don’t know what those sites stand for, they are online marketplaces where buyers and sellers meet in order to do business together. But these platforms themselves don’t moderate such transactions, so buyers and sellers have to meet physically or over other channels.

If you have some money to spend on aggressive online promotion, you can make a lot of money by starting your own classified ads sites. To boost your chances of success, you can specialize only on certain products or services, or catering only to users in certain geographical locations. Note that this business is usually tough at the beginning, but when you start attracting lots of users daily, it becomes more like a passive income spinner that grows on its own and fetches you some decent monthly income.

15. Price comparison site

Chances are you sometimes use Google when trying to find out the latest prices of certain products and services in Nigeria. That’s enough proof that most other Nigerian Internet users do the same. And that explains why price comparison sites like Pricecheck.com.ng will continue to be relevant and will continue to pull massive traffic. If you think your writing skills aren’t good enough, here’s another online business option that doesn’t require being a good writer.

All you have to do is scour the various Nigerian online shopping sites to get the latest prices of different products and list them on your site in a comparison format, so that prospective buyers will know where to get the best prices. And the sweet thing is, there are automated programs that can do this for you without you having to lift a finger. That is, these programs will check the current prices of each product on each of the specified online shopping site and automatically list them on your own site. Just so you know, price comparison sites earn money through ads, sponsored placements, lead generation, and affiliate marketing.

16. Job board

When you hear names like Jobberman, Hotnigerianjobs, and NGcareers, job search comes to your mind, right? It’s expectable that these job search engines are popular in Nigeria, since the unemployment rate in the country is high. Now, I’m not being pessimistic, but from all indications unemployment in this country isn’t a problem that is likely to be solved anytime soon. So, I can correctly predict that sites like Jobberman and others will continue to remain relevant in this country for a very long time.

Despite the fact that there are already a good number of job search engines targeted at Nigerian job seekers, there’s still enough room for new entrants. If you’re smart enough to play your cards right, you can set up your own job search engine and grow it into a popular and successful one. A shortcut to success with this idea is to go the niche way by narrowing down to specific jobs only or to jobs in a geographical location. That is, it’s better to start a job search engine for oil and gas jobs only, or teaching jobs only, or jobs in Ibadan. You dig?

When promoted well, job search sites grow very quickly. So, when your traffic starts to hit the roof, you can start making money from ads or by rendering CV writing and review services, or by selling resources (e-books, etc.) that job seekers will find very helpful.

17. News site

Although we have a good number of Nigerian online newspapers, you can still set up a successful one for yourself if that’s your goal. Note, however, that competing with the online versions popular newspapers like The Punch and The Nation won’t be an easy task.

But if you’re able to consistently get unique news items that haven’t been published elsewhere, you stand a chance of quick success. This does not mean you should go about bearing fake news and putting up deceptive headlines just to attract traffic. If you do that, your website will soon be widely known for fake news, and nobody will ever take information from your site seriously again. And that’s the end!

For a start you will have to promote your new site aggressively through social media, forums, and other online channels. Your aim is to create widespread awareness of your site. News sites earn revenue through adverts and sponsored posts.

18. Viral news site

If you have a knack for curating weird and highly interesting news and information that people won’t hesitate to share with others, then here’s a good online business idea for you. One good thing about viral news sites is that they easily stand out and quickly attract a huge audience of loyal readers.

While the regular news sites like The Punch and The Nation are sharing the same everyday news about the government and other issues, viral news sites share rare yet interesting stuffs like “10 Things You Should Never Say to a Hausa Man” or “5 Most Ridiculous Statements Made By Nigerian Politicians in 2016”. If you come across such headlines, you’d be compelled by curiosity to read the post. And if you find it interesting, you’d immediately share it on Facebook or Twitter, so that your friends and followers can also enjoy it. That’s exact what other people would do as well. And it goes on and on. That’s the viral phenomenon.

To succeed with this idea, you’d need to find trusted sources of rare but interesting stuffs. And you must be a wizard at crafting compelling headlines that people won’t be able to resist. Major revenue sources for such a site would be adverts and sponsored posts. Examples of viral news sites include Buzzfeed (foreign) and Zikoko (Nigerian).

19. E-commerce (online store)

This is one of the hottest online business options in Nigeria right now because more and more Nigerians are becoming comfortable with buying things they need online. So, it’s no surprise that the likes of Jumia and Konga keep blossoming by the day. You too can tap from this multibillion naira industry by starting your own online store.

No, you don’t have to start something as big as Jumia or Konga. Just so you know, there are thousands of other Nigerian online stores that are less popular, but are also making a lot of money. Why most of them aren’t popular is that they sell only one or few types of products. You too can start an online store that sells only perfumes, for example, or wedding rings, or mobile phone accessories, or what have you. You don’t need much to start. Just have a hot-selling product or group of products and enough funds to set up your online store and promote your store online.

How you’ll source your products is totally up to you. If you’re already selling some goods before now, that’s cool. But if you’re not, you can source products from local markets at cheaper or wholesale prices and sell them online (retail arbitrage). Alternatively, you can source your products from cheap foreign sources such as AliExpress (mini importation). There’s also the option of creating or manufacturing the products yourself.

20. Coupon or promo site

Everyone loves to buy things at cheaper prices or even get them for free, if possible. And Nigerians are no exception. Just so you know, the reason why people compare prices of goods online, just as they do in markets and shopping malls, is to find the best (cheapest) price available. So, starting a site that features information about current promos, and discount offers is a smart idea.

Although you’ll need to spend some money and effort to promote and even maintain such a site, Nigerians won’t stop visiting the site daily to check the latest promo offers once they know what the site is all about. But you must keep impressing your visitors by posting fresh updates on latest discount offers and promos run by Nigerian companies.

Coupon and promo sites earn revenue through sponsored posts, adverts, and affiliate marketing. Lead generation is another monetization strategy that works well with such sites.

21. E-books and E-courses (Information marketing)

People — Nigerians inclusive — will continue to pay for information that they deem helpful and valuable. So, if you have in-depth knowledge of anything that many Nigerians are willing to learn more about, you can turn that knowledge into cool cash by packing all you know into an e-book or e-course.

Writing an e-book simply entails packaging your premium information into PDF or any other readable format. For e-courses, you can render them in text, audio, or video formats and deliver to your “students” in a piece-by-piece fashion.

You can promote and sell your e-books or e-courses in different ways. If you want to be in full control of your content and income, your best bet is to set up a dedicated site for it. All your marketing efforts would then be aimed at directing potential buyers to the site.

Another option is to sell on reputable platforms such as Amazon Kindle (for e-books) and Udemy (for video courses). These platforms attract millions of visits monthly, so you can make a good number of sales by piggy-backing on their reputation alone. And by selling your product through them, you’d be spared the hassles of handling payment processing and order deliveries, and you won’t have to work too hard to gain buyers’ trust.

But selling on these platforms has its downsides: Firstly, you don’t have full control over your content, as you’d have to publish it in the formats approved by the platform and play by their other rules. Secondly, you have to share your income with the platform, so you only get to pocket 60% to 80% of the sale price. And thirdly, you’d have to struggle with fierce competition, especially if there are other products on the same platform that are quite similar to yours.

22. App and game development

No, I’m not talking about developing apps and games for clients here. I’m talking about developing them for yourself with the aim of making money from them over time. You don’t necessarily have to be a programmer. All you need are innovative ideas and a smart mind. You can always pay a seasoned programmer to handle the development and testing for you.

So, if you’ve stumbled on one or more mobile or app ideas in the past, you can invest the money or time required to develop it, and sit back to enjoy your income afterwards. It’s common knowledge that smartphones are becoming more and more popular, which means the need apps and games can only continue to boom.

App and game developers make money from their products in different ways. They can charge an upfront fee that must be paid before access to download the app or game is granted. They can charge for upgrades to the premium version of the product after offering the “lite” version for free. They can charge for each additional enhancement and privilege (commonly obtains with games). And they can earn from ads displayed within the app.

23. Digital product creation

If you’re a programmer or web developer with special interest in website enhancement tools such as plugins and themes or any type of desktop or web-based software, you can turn make massive passive income by developing any of these for yourself. Even if you can’t code yourself, you can pay an expert to develop your idea into a fine product. All you need is a lucrative, brilliant idea to start with.

The demand for website enhancement tools and computer software will continue to be on the high for as long as computers and the Internet exist. So, call this a future-proof idea, and you’d be on point. You can decide to sell your product on a dedicated site or on online platforms such as Themeforest and Codecanyon.

24. Vlogging

A 5-second video is better than the hundreds of the most descriptive words. And no doubt, people understand things better when they watch videos than when they read pure text. This explains why Nigerians now tend to watch videos online more than they read articles, especially since data costs in the country are becoming more and more affordable. And the increase in number of video bloggers in Nigeria is just expectable, given the increase in consumption of video content.

So, if you have any unique video blogging ideas and have the tools required to get started, why not start your own video blogging platform? For most people, a YouTube Channel or an Instagram account is a perfect platform.

As with traditional blogging, your success as a video blogger hinges largely on your ability to consistently produce videos that are highly informative and problem-solving, or addictively entertaining. If you can master or actualize this ability, then you’d grow your followership over time and make good money.

25. Stock Photography

If you’re a badass when it comes to taking photo shots with any device, then this option is for you. You can make some cool cash selling your cute photos online. Have you ever wondered where many bloggers get the awesome pictures they insert in their blog posts or where website template developers get the alluring images they use as placeholders? Those pictures are bought from stock photo sites such as Shutterstock, Fotolia, and iStockPhoto.

Whether you have a thing for capturing nature in photos, or you particularly enjoy taking photos of amazing buildings and structures, you’ll always find ready buyers for your photos online. You have the option of selling exclusive rights to only one buyer (for a huge fee, of course), or making money continuously from a single image by selling to multiple users. You may even get hired permanently by companies or brands who value your skills. Who knows?

26. Social media prominence

Well, that’s the best term I could come up with for this idea. It’s the idea that entails gradually building an audience on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter with the ultimate aim of monetizing your followership. To make headway with this model, you’d need to offer something that will really attract people’s attention — not just once, but consistently.

Many Nigerian social media influencers are making fortunes with this model. From comedy skits to latest fashion styles, there’s no limit to the type of content you can offer with this model. Just be sure it’s something that people will always be tempted to follow.

After building a huge followership on whatever platform you opt for, you’ll start getting paid advert and sponsored content requests from small and big brands. And that’s where your income would come from. Running this option of online business requires only your content creation tools (cameras, etc). You won’t have to pay for hosting or other expenses that come with self-hosted blogs and other web-based assets.

27. Online forum

Nairaland is Nigeria’s biggest online forum, and it’s making a lot of money from ads displayed on its various pages and sections. More interestingly, it has grown to a point where its owner no longer bothers about creating content any longer. Millions of new words or content are generated daily by the users. And that’s just cool. If you like the idea of having your own online forum, then give it a push.

Note that starting a forum is not easy at all. From the start, you’ll have to create multiple accounts for posting new threads and replies (or you can pay people to do that for you). And you’ll have to spend a lot of time, energy, and money on promotion. But you can make things much easier for yourself by launching a niche forum, where the focus is on only one topic or very few topics. This narrowed down option can grow faster than a general topic forum.

If you’re a professional, consider starting a forum for your field. For example, if you’re a medical doctor, a smart idea is to start a forum where practising doctors can share their experiences and challenges with others, and where aspiring medical doctors (medical students) can get all the encouragement they need. This is applicable to virtually all other fields.

28. Media download site

Most Internet users prefer to have ebooks, videos and other media files to themselves, so they can access the files whenever they need them — without having to connect to the Internet. This explains why media download sites generate massive traffic, which can translate into huge income from banner ads and sponsored content.

Free e-books, free PDF textbooks, movies, music, tutorial videos, software, themes, plugins, and other digital products are cool ideas to create download sites around. Just set up your site and start uploading the files you want to share with your visitors. To boost your chances of quick growth, implement SEO tactics. By consistently giving your visitors what they want, your download site will grow gradually and will start generating income.

Note, however, that this option is somewhat controversial. Ideally, you’re required to request permission to distribute most media files, and making them available for download on your site without first seeking this permission is unethical. So, you may want to think twice before proceeding.

29. Web-based tool creation

By “web-based tool”, I mean a specialized website that helps users solve quick problems. A good example is Tinyurl.com, which helps you compress images into smaller sizes, yet maintaining clarity and detail. Another example is namemesh.com, a tool for quickly generating hundreds of domain name ideas when you’re stuck and aren’t sure of what to choose. Another example is Whatwpthemeisthat.com, which quickly tells you the name of the WordPress theme and plugins that a site is using.

There are also PDF converters, world clocks, currency converters, symptom checkers, and so on. The list of examples is endless.

The interesting thing about most web based tools is that they are integrated on websites with only one or few pages, yet they attract traffic like crazy. So, if you have a good idea, and you have no or only few sites to compete with, then develop a web based tool out of it, promote it, and sit back to make money

Another amazing upside of web based tools is that they require little or no maintenance and running costs. Just continue to check that the tool is working perfectly, and you’ll continue to attract more and more traffic because satisfied users will continue to recommend it to others.

Web based tools can be monetized with ads, freelance services, paid upgrades, and affiliate marketing.

30. Lead generation site

This is one of the hottest ways to make money online right now. It’s a very easy to implement and making headway with it doesn’t take a long time. A lead generation site is a niche site built solely for the aim of attracting visitors to businesses.

For example, if there are travel agencies around you, you can set up an informative blog that would feature loads of helpful information meant for people who want to travel out of the country. Due to the quality of this information , most visitors will deem you credible enough to recommend trusted visa agents, hotel booking agents, etc. to them.

Now here’s how you’ll make money from your lead gen site: You’ll find a reputable travel agent or agency around you and strike a deal with them. Tell them you have a site that through which you’ll find them customers, and they’ll pay you a specified fee for each customer you refer to them. Better yet, ask them to pay a fixed monthly sponsorship fee, which doesn’t depend on the number of leads (potential customers) you generate for them. And another option is to sell the site to them for a huge amount of money (and build another one immediately, of course). The option works well for businesses whose services or products are a bit on the high side. Good examples are travel agencies, sellers of expensive equipment and machines, etc.

31. Membership site

A membership site is a site loaded with exclusive content and training resources that can only be accessed by people (members) who have paid a specified fee. The site is usually passworded to prevent unwanted access by non-members. Members are required to pay a one-time fee or a recurrent monthly fee.

This option isn’t really common among Nigerians, considering that most Nigerian Internet users are freebie hunters. But if you have content ideas that people would be compelled to pay for, then you can make a lot of money off of this model. For example, if you’re a skilled fashion designer or stylist, you can create videos and other forms of content that can serve as training resources for newbies in the field. Then set up a membership site where people can register and pay to gain access to those training resources.

In addition to the registration fees charged to members, membership sites can also be monetized via ads, affiliate marketing, and even upgrades to access advanced resources.

If you read wide about making money online, chances are you’ve come across the phrase, “lead generation” a good number of times. Well, that’s one of the hottest online business models right now.

Informally called “lead gen”, lead generation simply involves attracting potential customers (leads) for businesses in return for some pay. In other words, your role in this business is to help other businesses (your clients) find potential customers that they can convert into actual buyers of their products or services.

Although the lead gen business is all the rave in the developed world, it’s still little-known here in Nigeria. And that’s why you should consider hopping on its bandwagon as an early bird.

In this post, I’ll tell you all how the lead gen business works, and how you too can get started with this online business model that is still untapped here in Nigeria.

Lead generation business: How it works

It’s simple.

Figure out a lucrative product or service that Nigerians are searching the web for information about.

Gather information on that product or service, especially information that potential buyers would be interested in.

Set up an online mechanism or platform for attracting people who are interested in buying that product or service.

Then strike a deal with a reputable company that offers the product or service you’re promoting.

And finally, direct those potential customers to the company you already have a deal with.

How exactly you make money from this model is up to you. Later, I’ll explain the various options you have.

How to get started with lead generation in Nigeria: Step by step guide

As with any other online business, your first step towards starting a successful lead generation business is to learn the ropes.

That is, you need to understand the steps involved and how to take each step. And that’s exactly what I’m about to explain to explain here. Read on.

Find a lucrative product or service

By “lucrative”, I mean expensive and in high demand. Here, we’re talking about products and services that cost several thousands to millions of naira. Only high end offers like this can fetch you good returns from this online business model.

More importantly, the product or service you’re looking to promote must be one that a lot of Nigerians are searching the web for information about. It doesn’t matter whether the business caters to other businesses (B2B) or directly to consumers (B2C).

We all tend to have rough ideas of high-end products or services, so you really don’t have to do much trying to figure this out. Where you’ll need to be objective is the area of web search volume. That is, where you have to find out how many Nigerians are searching the web for information on the product or service you want to promote. This is where keyword research comes in handy. I have another post on keyword research, so I won’t be going into it here.

In summary, the product or service you want to promote with your lead generation business setup must meet these three criteria: high-end in terms of cost per deal, high demand here in Nigeria, and good web search figures.

Here is a short list of some products and services that you can consider promoting because they meet all the criteria:

Products

Cars

Suits and other expensive wears (click here to see a live example of this)

The list is just endless. Just think of businesses that make a lot of money — and profit — from each sale of their product or service. Only such businesses can comfortably pay you a decent amount consistently for your promotional efforts.

Gather information on the product or service

After deciding on the product or service you want to focus on, you need to research for more information on it. This is more than necessary if you really want to build credibility and convince potential customers to trust your recommendations.

Start by assuming you’re the potential customer. If you’re looking to buy the same product or service that you want to offer, what are the questions you’re likely to ask? List out those questions and find detailed answers to them. To get authentic answers, you can either search the web or approach nearby companies offering the product or service.

You also need to look beyond yourself because you might have missed some important details that matter to other consumers of that product or service. So, try to check Quora and Nairaland to see other important questions that people are asking about the product or service you intend promoting.

For any product, here are some important bits of information that potential buyers would want to have:

What the product does and how it works

The different types of the product and the pros and cons of each

How consumers can choose the right type of the product

How to identify top-quality versions and brands of the product, and how to identify the fakes

Things to look out for when buying the product

What to expect after buying the product — maintenance procedures and costs, etc.

How to use the product correctly

Common mistakes to avoid when using the product

For services, here’s a short list as well:

What the service entails

Various options available and the pros and cons of each

How to decide the right service option

Questions consumers can ask to identify reputable and quality service providers

Cost of the service

What to expect from the service provider — installations, accessories, assurance, guarantees, etc.

It goes without saying, but the list would vary for each product or service. These are just to give you rough ideas to build on.

Setup your promotion strategy

Your next step is to set up your own method for promoting your chosen product or service to potential buyers online. For this step, you have a good number of different options. And here are some of them.

Blogging

Simply set up a blog and load it with lots of information that will not only answer people’s questions about the product or service you’re promoting, but will also compel them to buy the product or service.

The biggest advantage of this option is that it has the potential for generating traffic spontaneously through search engines. Another upside is that it puts you in total control of your content and efforts.

Social media

If you’re very active on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, you can use those platforms to spread word of the product or service you’re promoting.

Frequent salesy posts and updates won’t work. You need to provide valuable information about the offer. This will not only generate interest among potential buyers, but it will also position you as a credible source of information related to whatever you’re promoting.

Forum marketing

Forums are great platforms for reaching out to potential buyers of any product or service. A good example is Nigeria’s most popular forum, Nairaland, which has various sections and topics. All you have to do is visit the sections that are relevant to whatever you’re promoting, as chances are you’ll find potential buyers in these sections.

You can also look out for niche forums that attract potential buyers of the offer you’re promoting. As with social media promotion, you’ll get better results from forums by sharing valuable information and being subtle with your marketing efforts.

Paid ads

If you want faster results, then your best bet is go the way of paid ads. All the platforms mentioned so far have paid advertising options. That is, you can run paid ads on Google, Facebook, or Nairaland. The ads are strategically positioned for maximum reach and user engagement, so, you’ll quickly attract potential customers.

It goes without saying, though, but running ads cost money. So, before going for this option, you want to be sure that your returns will cover for the cost of ads and still leave you with decent profit.

Regardless of which option you choose, you must put up a clear-cut call to action (“click here to learn more”, “call us now”, etc.) and channels through which potential customers can reach you.

In addition, keep a record of enquiries by potential customers, as you’ll need this record to convince companies that you can truly send them customers if they pay you.

Find a company to work with

Look for a reputable company that offers that product or service. The closer you are to the company you want to work with, the better for you. So, start by considering suitable companies in your vicinity or those owned or managed by your relatives or close friends. This is because you’ll need to provide certain details when promoting the products or services. And only businesses you’re close to can provide you with those details, such as product photos, specs, pricing, and so on.

In fact, this step can come earlier if you need some information that you can only get correctly from the company.

Once you’ve found one or few companies that tick all your checkboxes, contact them through their most active communication channels. Introduce yourself and tell them that you can send them potential customers consistently, showing your record of enquiries as proof.

After the company has agreed to work with you, you can ask them to pay a fixed monthly fee or a specified amount per lead. For convenience and other advantages, choose the monthly payment option.

How much you’ll charge any company depends on how expensive their product or services are. A company that makes a profit of over N200,000 per customer can comfortably pay you that amount per month if they can get 10 or more customers monthly through your channel.

Start sending potential customers to your client

The company you’re working with is now your “client”. You can stick with just one client or more, depending on how you structure your promotional platform, and on how many different products or services you’re promoting.

To start sending potential buyers to your client, you’ll have to channel all customer enquiries to the company directly. That is, your phone number, email, or social media inboxes would have to be changed to those of the company.

Wrap-up

Marketing is what every business thrives on, and any company would readily pay you generously for send potential customers their way — especially those that convert into long-term customers. Starting a lead gen platform is one of the smartest ways to cash in on this reality.

Note that at no point did I state that this is one easy business. Like any other online business, it won’t be very easy, especially from the start. But if you play your cards right and are determined to succeed, you sure will.

If this idea sounds cool and alluring to you, why not give it a shot? If you have any questions, objections, or other contributions, share your thoughts by leaving a comment.

Sometimes in 2016, I came upon the idea of one promising niche — targeted at Nigerians, of course

I quickly did my keyword research, and I figured my instincts were on point: The niche comprises hundreds of lucrative keywords used by Nigerians. So I kept the idea somewhere in my mind — for months.

About one year later, I shared the idea of the niche with a friend who had struggled with a number of online businesses and was looking for a promising one to settle down with.

It wasn’t easy giving out the niche idea just like that, but I did because I wanted to help someone. After all, I already have a number of money-spinners to myself, and I might not even have the time to work on the idea.

But to my surprise, my friend later discarded the idea. His reasons were that it won’t be easy getting information for the different topics within that niche, and that the niche would require frequent updating of articles, which he wouldn’t be able to keep up with. Of course, I had no problems with his decision.

Few months later, someone else who stumbled on my blog got in touch with me, asking me to suggest a good online business he could invest in. According to him, he was ready to pump up to N500,000 into any lucrative online business.

I quickly remembered my “golden” niche idea. I told him that I have a cool niche we can build a new blog around. I didn’t disclose the exact niche, though.

After enlightening him on how I plan to start and grow the blog using the power of keywords and long-form content, he asked how soon he would start to get returns and how much the blog would be generating. Those are questions I hate to be asked because I can’t give definite answers to them.

While I was beginning to sense some desperation to make quick returns in his tone, I patiently answered his questions, giving some realistic expectations based on my personal experience.

Afterwards, we agreed that he would start by releasing N100,000, which would cover the cost of hiring writers for the first batch of articles. He would be a “sleeping” partner, while I would be in charge of everything related to the setup and running of the site.

But that was the last time we communicated. He didn’t contact me to follow up on our plan. And I didn’t bother to contact him, either, because I don’t want to create the impression that I’m desperate for his money. Again, I held on to my golden niche idea.

Fast forward to December 2017, I decided that I was going to implement my niche idea myself. For over one year, it’s been there in my mind, gathering dust (not the literal dust; my mind isn’t dusty inside. LOL!).

My final posting in medical school was to start in January 2018, so, it was obvious that I won’t have the time to write articles for the blog myself. But I had to do the little time permitted me to.

I quickly chose a domain name, registered it with Namecheap, and set up the site on my hosting plan with the same company. I chose a cool premium theme (the same one I’m using on this blog), installed a number of necessary plugins, and linked up the site with Google Analytics and Google Search Console.

I needed to hire another writer because the one writing my other blog “NGFR” always had enough work on his hands. Within a few days, I was able to get someone — a cool headed guy with amazing research skills. And I sent him the first batch of 20 topics. That was how I started building the blog. It wasn’t so easy creating time for that amid tight school schedules, though.

My usual strategy with any blog is create is to publish the first batch of well-optimized articles and then leave it for a while. I usually wait for about 6-9 months to see if the blog would show signs of growth — or potential for growth, at least. If see positive signs, I’d start pumping in more articles. Otherwise, I’d abandon it. This helps me to minimize risk.

So, after publishing the first 20 articles on the new blog, I decided to stay put and watch what happens.

Traffic results

Although my usual waiting time is 6 to 9 months, the new blog started generating traffic on its own after just 2 months! I needed no other sign that this was going to be another money-spinner. So, I resumed work on it, publishing more articles. And here are the results:

By the end of January 2018 (after just one month), the blog started generating about 100 page views per month:

Traffic for January 2018

In February 2018, daily page views increased steadily from about 100 at the beginning of the month to about 550 by the end of the month:

Traffic for February 2018

In March 2018, daily page views increased steadily to about 1300 by month end:

Traffic for March 2018

In April 2018, daily page views increased steadily to about 3,300 by month end:

Traffic for April 2018

By the end of May, daily page views have increased to about 5,500:

Traffic for May 2018

So far in this month (June 2018), page views have reached about 6,100 per day:

Traffic for June 2018

Traffic generated so far has been majorly from Nigeria (89%) and from organic search (search engines like Google, etc.)

Traffic – LocationTraffic – Sources

Income results

I didn’t monetize the site until March 2018, when I was sure of the site’s growth potential and ripeness for monetization. I didn’t sway from my original monetization plan — Google Adsense. And here are the site’s earnings since March:

March 2018: $99

April 2018: $242

May 2018: $426

So far in June 2018 (today is 22nd): $381

5 Important Things You Should Learn from This Story

As I always do, I share my stories — both successes and failures — to teach lessons and drive home some important points. And this post won’t be an exception. Here are some important take home points for you.

#1. Blogging isn’t dead at all

With the rate at which people go into blogging these days, one might be tempted to think that the blogosphere is saturated already and that blogging has been flogged to death. But that’s plain wrong!

Truth is, more than 80 percent of wannabe bloggers quit within months. So, there’s always enough room for new players. If you play the blogging game correctly and smartly, you’ll succeed at it.

#2. Money CAN buy quick results

As of the time of this writing, my new blog already has about 200 articles — each about 1,000 words long. There’s no way I could have written that much myself. (Even this blog (Web Income Plus) has less than 100 articles, and this is the fifth year since I started it.)

But with money, I was able to speed up the blog’s growth. So far, I’ve spent over N300,000 on articles alone. I’m already recouping my investment, though, since the blog’s income now trumps my monthly spending on articles.

#3. The silo structure works!

I have built a number of successful blogs, but I’ve never recorded any success as fast as this. When I sat down to think deeply about what I did differently, I could only give myself one answer: implementing the silo structure.

I’ve never implemented the silo thing on any site before this, so I can deduce that it played a key role in speeding up the success of the site. I doubt if I would be discussing a topic like silo structure here because it can be somewhat confusing for beginners. But if you’re interested in learning about it, this post would help.

#4. Diversification is key

Even though I have 6 to 7 other sites that were generating income that added up to a cool monthly total for me, I still won’t stop exploring new opportunities. You know why? Because “anything can happen”.

Few days ago, the traffic to one of my highest earning Amazon affiliate sites suddenly crashed by 50% — for reasons I’ve yet to figure. While I wasn’t happy about it, I was glad that I had other sites to fall back on. You can imagine how downcast I’d have been if that were to be my only site. And as I’m typing this, I’m already working on a new affiliate niche site while planning to launch three to four new blogs for Adsense within the next three months.

#5. There are no secrets!

If you think there’s some magical stuff that I use to get results, you’re wrong! The keys to success in blogging these days haven’t changed: Find a good niche, do your keyword research, and publish long-form content consistently. There are no shortcuts.

Before you start thinking I’m a magician of some sort, remember this: As I stated in this post, I’ve had my fair share of failures. And just so you know, before creating this new blog, I created two others that are not necessarily failures, but aren’t as successful (neither is earning up to $100 monthly).

Your turn…

There you have the details on how I started and grew the newest income-earning blog under my belt. Let me know if you have any questions, contributions, objections, or other thoughts. And don’t forget to share this with others. As always, you rock!

If you’re talented at stringing words together to produce pieces that will wow readers and compel them to take action when necessary, then you can make some side income by writing for clients and getting paid. And the sweet part is, the demand for writers in Nigeria is increasing by the day, so you can get a lot of work without sweating over getting foreign clients.

Freelance Writing Jobs in Nigeria

Here are some currently open freelance writing opportunities you can apply for. Note, however, that to apply for some of these gigs, you’ll have to register on the platform where the information was sourced from. So, get you samples ready, and start applying!

Freelance Writers Needed for a Business Blog

A business blog in Nigeria needs freelance writers to add to its team. The blog focuses on starting a business, managing a business, promoting a business, and other related topics.

Writers are required for a long-term basis, and about 5 of them are needed. The job is a pay-per-job type, and writers would be paid between N1000 and N1500 per article. Successful writers are guaranteed steady work provided they can continue to provide good quality outputs.

Writer Needed for a Tech Blog

A growing Nigerian tech blog urgently requires the services of a writer for a long-term deal. The gig requires crafting at least 1 article daily that will be a gadget review, with each article spanning 500 to 1000 words.

Quality Writers Needed

Writers are needed for the long term (bulky jobs available). Interested writers must have good command of English, fast response rate, good online presence, and ability to write plagiarism-free articles.

Good Essay Writer Needed

A good writer is needed to take on some essay writing assignments. Interested writers should contact 08067487543 (the vacancy first appeared on Nairaland, so state this).

Application opening date: June 3, 2018

Closing date: N/A

Editors Needed

The Lagos Literary and Arts Journal is in need of freelance editors in these categories: fiction, essays, poetry, and media (drama, films, music and photography). Interested applicants are expected to indicate their category of interest and send samples of their work.

While writers would be allowed to work remotely, ability to visit the Ibadan editorial office for quarterly meetings would be an advantage.

If you’re looking to start making money online within days to weeks, then you should consider looking for an online job.

Like traditional office jobs, you’ll start earning once you’re able to land your first gig. So, it’s a cool path to thread for those who want to make some cash on the side, but cannot afford the waiting time that blogging and many other passive online income streams require.

Now, let’s talk a bit about these jobs.

Online jobs, simply put, are jobs that you can fulfill over the Internet. While these jobs usually don’t involve rushing down to an office every morning, they vary in terms of complexity, depending on the type of tasks involved. So, they are not always easy-peasy. But the cool thing about them is that they allow you to work from the comfort of your home.

Note that there are slight differences between online jobs and online freelance jobs. An online job might not necessarily be a freelance job. If, say, a digital marketing agency hires you as its in-house writer and places you on a monthly salary rather than a pay-per-article remuneration, what you’ve got an online job, but not a freelance job.

With an online freelance job, you get paid per successfully executed task, you choose your working hours, and you’re not tied to a single client. But other online jobs are just what they are — online jobs. That is, they allow you to work from home — and that’s the only freedom you can enjoy. You’re legally tied to the client employer, get a fixed monthly pay, work within specified times daily, and play by your employer’s other rules.

So, we can correctly conclude that online freelance jobs are a sub-type of online jobs. This clarification is necessary to help you make well-informed choices whenever you’re faced with multiple offers.

Enough of the intro. Let’s now look at some of the common online jobs you can easily find here in Nigeria.

1. Writing jobs

Writing jobs are by far the most in-demand online jobs. Even here in Nigeria, you can make a lot of money working for Nigerian clients or employers alone. With the increasing number of blogs and company websites launched by Nigerians every day, the booming demand for content writers in the country is quite expectable.

So, if you’re a good writer, you can start applying for writing gigs and start making cool money from the comfort of your home or office. In my journey through the world of online business, I started out as a freelance writer, so I know how lucrative this option can be.

However, it goes without saying that the better your writing skills and the faster you’re able to churn out quality content, the more money you can make from online writing gigs.

There are different types of online writing tasks: articles, website content, CVs, sales copies, business plans, letters of introduction, fiction ghostwriting, proposals, and many others. You have the option of specializing in only one type of task or covering multiple different types.

2. Graphics design jobs

They say a picture is better than a thousand words. That’s quite true, especially in online marketing. And that’s why you tend to notice sponsored ads in in your Facebook feed when they are pictures than you do when they are pure text. The increasing awareness of this reality explains the increasing demand for graphics designers.

If you’re skilled in designing ad banners, logos, website header banners, e-covers, business brochures, and other graphic works, then you can make money off of your skills. A lot of Nigerian individuals and companies are looking to hire talented hands like yours. In fact, companies like Jumia, Konga, Jiji, and so on have their own in-house graphics designers.

3. Website design and development jobs

Internet penetration in Nigeria keeps increasing by the day, and millions of Nigerians now spend several hours on the Internet doing all sorts. More and more Nigerian businesses are waking to this reality, so they are trying hard to reach their potential customers online. And because having a website is one of the best ways to achieve this, the demand for web designers and developers in Nigeria is now in the rise.

So, if you’re good at designing websites either from scratch or by modification of ready-made frameworks, you stand a good chance of making money by working for clients online. And if you’re able to integrate advanced functionalities such as online stores, online databases, interactive modules, and so on, then you stand a bigger chance of landing clients here in Nigeria.

4. Programming jobs

Apps are all the rave right now. Individuals are creating them for the fun of it or to make some side income, while companies are using them as platforms to interact with their potential and existing customers. With the steady increase in the number of smartphone users in Nigeria, the demand for app developers can only continue to grow.

If you’re good at coding and can develop awesome apps even in your sleep, then your skills are required by a lot of Nigerian clients out there. Once you know where to look to find the gigs, you can make a lot of money building apps and games.

Programmers also make money by helping individuals and companies troubleshoot their online assets and check them for bugs and security flaws. If that’s the aspect you’re a guru in, then you can also have a good share of the opportunities out there.

5. Social media management

Social media is one of the most effective business and brand promotion platforms available today. So, it’s not surprising that a lot of Nigerian celebrities and companies hire dedicated staff to handle their social media accounts on various platforms.

If you have good command of English and a brilliant mind that understands the best and most civil responses to different enquiries and insults, then you should consider going into this line of online business. If you’re able to get provable results for your clients or employers, then there’s no limit to the income you can make.

Social media management might seem easy on the surface, but it’s not as easy as updating your own personal social media accounts. If you’ll be working for companies, then you’ll need to have a deep understanding of each company’s customer personas and what makes them tick, as well as the best strategies for promoting different types of businesses on social media.

Wrap-up

There you have it. I just revealed five of the most in-demand online jobs in Nigeria today. Now, I understand that there are lots of other online job options, but I have restricted this list to only those ones that you can easily land here in Nigeria.

If you already have the skills required for any of these jobs, I expect you to start finding and applying for available gigs right away.

And if you’re interested in any of these job options but lack the required skills, you can take some time to learn them. For writing, graphics design, and social media management, you can learn the required skills within few months — provided you’re determined and dedicated to learning.

So, take action now, and start making some cash online!

Your turn…

Do you know of any other online jobs that are in high demand in Nigeria but missing from this list? Or you have any objections, contributions, or related opinions? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment.

And don’t forget to share this on social media, so others can also benefit from it.

The terms, “blog”, “blogging”, and “blogger” have now become very popular in Nigeria — for good and bad reasons.

The success stories of Linda Ikeji and others who are making a killing from the blogging profession have motivated more-than-countable Nigerians to go into blogging — to get their own share of the “blogospheric cake”. On the other hand, some mischievous elements have made bloggers infamous for publishing false news and malicious information.

No doubt, blogging can be very lucrative. Many Nigerian bloggers are now doing their thing on a full-time basis, simply because their blogs are generating monthly income that is more than enough to pay their bills and make them comfortable. Linda Ikeji and my humble self are good examples.

As with any other business that seems lucrative, blogging is a widely sought-after venture in Nigeria today — for obvious reasons. Who doesn’t like to be at home full-time, sitting behind a laptop for just few hours a day, and making cool cash doing just that?

Unfortunately, most Nigerians who hop on the bandwagon of blogging abandon their blogs within few months. The reason? Blogging isn’t as easy as and straightforward as most people think? And blogging these days is far more difficult than what obtained 10 years ago.

What most people do is simply set up a free-hosted blog on Blogger, churn out a number of posts over days or weeks, and sit back while expecting an avalanche of traffic and a boom in their bank accounts. But that has never worked for anyone, not even in those days when blogging was far easier.

Truth is, anyone with the right mindset, tools, and determination can succeed as a blogger. But you’ll need to master and implement all the smart and effective strategies involved. Gone are the days when trial-and-error spurred people to success in blogging. And to succeed as a blogger these days requires being strategic.

In this post, I’ll be explaining the steps involved in starting a blog — here in Nigeria. If you’re looking to start your blogging career without making any mistakes, then this post is for you. Sit back, relax, and read on.

For your convenience, this post has been packaged into a FREE e-book (see picture below). To download the e-book, simply unlock the download link by sharing this post on Facebook or Twitter (use the buttons below the e-book image).

Starting a Blog: Step 1 — Get the required tools

As with any other venture, your first steps towards blogging is to gather all the tools you’ll need. These include a laptop or desktop computer, reliable Internet connection, good writing skills, and a good amount of time.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been asked if a smartphone or tablet can be used for blogging instead of a PC. And here’s my usual answer: “Yes, but get ready for a lot of hitches.”

There’s a lot more to blogging than crafting posts. As you progress in your journey as a blogger, you’ll need to master tools like the Google Keyword Planner and probably some other web-based and desktop programs that might not run well on mobile devices — that’s if they run at all.

Aside their technical handicap, mobile devices have much smaller screens, which will be a disadvantage when you’re trying to accomplish certain tasks that blogging also entails.

So, your best bet is to get a laptop or desktop PC. But if all you have for now is a smartphone or tablet, you can make do with that — don’t expect a smooth sail over the long term, though.

As for Internet connection, it goes without saying that you’ll need one. Without Internet access, you can’t research for information meant for your blog posts, you can’t access your blog, and you can’t publish posts. In fact, you can’t do anything!

In addition, to become a successful blogger you must be a good writer. And you must be ready to write regularly. There are no shortcuts!

Oh well, the only way around this is to hire a good writer to craft your posts for you. And I’m telling you, that could be very, very expensive if you’re looking for top quality posts. This is what I do tell people: “If you’re not a good writer, blogging isn’t for you!”

Oh, did I just scare you? I didn’t mean to. Don’t be scared. I didn’t mean you must be another Shakespeare or Soyinka. All you need is the ability to write in clear English that is free from obvious grammar, style, spelling, or typographical errors. If you think you’ll pull through that, then you’re good to go. If you’re not sure, a good tip is to write a sample post and ask other people — good writers, I mean — to vet your writing skills.

Finally, you need to devote some time to blogging. You should be willing to set aside at least 2-3 hours of your day to it, especially when you’re just starting out.

You might be wondering why you need that much time. But the truth is, blogging entails more than writing and publishing blog posts. Promoting your blog requires even more time and effort. Get that clearly!

So, if you can’t devote 2-3 hours of your day to blogging, then starting a blog is not an option you should consider. What this means is that blogging isn’t for you if you run a day job that leaves you so tired at the end of each work day that the only thing you do on getting home is sleep off.

For your convenience, this post has been packaged into a FREE e-book (see picture below). To download the e-book, simply unlock the download link by sharing this post on Facebook or Twitter (use the buttons below the e-book image).

Starting a Blog: Step 2 — Decide on your niche

This is no doubt the most important part of this post … because it explains the most important concept you need to understand when starting out as a blogger. So, I want you to read this section with increased attention.

Blogging is becoming more and more competitive by the day. Several thousands of blogs spring up every day to compete for people’s attention, yet the number of available readers isn’t increasing at anything close to that rate. So, it takes playing your cards right to succeed as a blogger.

While it might seem like a smart idea to appeal to as many people as possible by blogging on a wide range of topics, the opposite is actually what works for most bloggers. It’s much better and much easier to appeal to some people than to try to appeal to everyone and end up appealing to no one. In short, it’s better to choose a niche for your blog.

Choosing a niche is one of your most important first steps towards starting a blog. Go about it the wrong way, and rest assured that your blog would wind up as a failure. In fact, opting for the wrong niche is one of the commonest reasons why people fail at blogging. So, by understanding how to make the right choice, you’d be able to avoid one of the biggest pitfalls lurking on your path.

Now, let’s get into business.

What exactly is a niche?

In the context of blogging, the word “niche” refers to the subject or topic that your blog centers on as well as the specific audience you’re trying to entertain or help with your blog content. Your niche could comprise one topic or subject or multiple ones and could be targeted at categories of people based on geographical location, interests, or occupation.

For example, Linda Ikeji’s blog features entertainment news and updates, gossips about celebrities, and related stuff that would interest Nigerians. So, it’s correct to say her niche is “Nigerian entertainment and celebrity news updates”. Here are other examples of popular Nigerian blogs and their respective niches:

So, in other words, a niche comprises the topic(s) that a blog stands for as well as the blog’s ideal readers. Majority of blogs have their own clearly-defined specific niches, although there are few popular blogs that feature posts on a wide range of topics (but if you dig deeper, you’d still find that they tilt more towards certain topics than others).

Most blogs you’ll find have specific subjects and target readers. However, it’s not a must to define your niche with both specific topics and specific readers in mind. Some blogs have niches that comprise only a specific topic without any geography-based or interest-based bias. A good example is a health blog targeted at a global audience.

How to choose your blogging niche

First, bear in mind that you’re in the best position to choose your own blogging niche — because you understand yourself, your capabilities, and your tendencies more than anyone else does. So, asking other people to choose a niche for you is a huge blunder.

1. Choose a niche model

To choose your niche, your first step is to decide whether your choice would be interest-driven or income-driven. Either model has its pros and cons, which you’ll understand better in a bit.

A. The interest-driven model

This is quite in line with what most blogging mentors teach their students: Choose a niche based on your area of interest, knowledge or experience. If you’re a tech freak who enjoys talking about latest mobile devices and their fascinating specs, then you’d be fine with the tech niche — or even more specifically, the mobile devices niche.

Similarly, if your mum has been running a poultry farm in your compound since you were very young, and while growing up you’ve been able to understand everything about the business and have even developed some interest in it, then you’re in a very good position to start and run a blog on poultry farming.

So, all you have to do is to ask yourself the following questions:

What are some topics that I enjoy talking about?

What are some subjects or ventures that I have deep knowledge of and would like tell others about?

What are those topics that and topics that I don’t necessarily know about but am very much interested in and would like to research extensively about.

What are my hobbies?

Answering these questions will help you come up with a good number of niche options.

This niche model places your interest, knowledge, or experience at the forefront. And if you’re adopting this option, you shouldn’t bother about potential income streams or blog monetization options from the start.

No, I’m not saying you shouldn’t expect to make money from the blog. Of course, you’re blogging with the ultimate aim of making money. But with this model your priority is to choose a niche that is well within your comfort zone, start your blog, grow your audience, and then start considering different monetization options later on.

Here are the advantages of the interest-driven model

Writing and publishing your blog posts would be relatively easy because you’ve chosen a topic that always piques your interest and that you’re passionate about.

Your interest and passion for the topic you’re blogging about would keep you going when things look bleak from the start or somewhere along the line.

You’re unlikely to run out of blog post ideas.

You’d be able to position yourself as an expert in your chosen subject, and over time you’d be regarded as such.

Over time, your blog would be widely regarded as one of the authority go-to website for topics you blog about. And this authority would be all you need to attract advertisers whose products or services cater to your blog’s audience.

Over time, you’d be able to build a large pool of loyal readers who would visit your blog regularly without being prompted to. At that point, you’d no longer have to work your ass off to attract attention and traffic.

When your blog is ripe enough for monetization, there are usually multiple options.

And well, here are the disadvantages

Some subjects are difficult to monetize. For example, if you start a religion blog, you might be able to grow your followership over a relatively short period, but your chances of making decent bucks from such a blog are very slim. Why? The reason is that when it comes to matters of religion, people are not inclined to buying informational stuffs. All they want is a little motivation to boost their level of faith, and nothing more. Only few Nigerians would buy e-books on spirituality. And worse, Google Adsense and most other ad networks as well as affiliate marketing programs have little or no provisions for religion blogs.

Some subjects you’re interested in or passionate about might not appeal to many people. If you’re very good at bead making for example, it might strike you as a smart idea to start a blog on bead making. But the truth is, not so many people show interest in learning bead making, let alone actively search the web for information about it.

B. The income-driven model

This model simply involves choosing your niche based on how exactly you intend to make money from your blog, not based on your interest. Adopting this model means you don’t care about interest or passion for the topic. What you care about is to make money, regardless of the subject that will make that happen.

So, if you find that a lot of people are searching the web for information on teeth-whitening products, for example, you can decide to create a blog aimed at promoting various teeth-whitening products as an affiliate and generating commissions from that. In that case, your niche selection is income-driven because you have opted for affiliate marketing as your monetization strategy from the outset, and you’ll be tailoring your blog for that strategy.

Similarly, if you want to make money as a freelance writer and would like to attract clients consistently, you might want to start a blog on a topic that appeals to the class of clients you intend to work with. So, if you think Internet marketers pay writers very well, a smart way to show them your writing skills is to start a blog on Internet marketing or any other topic that Internet marketers would be interested in. Here, you’re not choosing that topic because you’re interested in it, but because you’re looking to make decent income crafting content for Internet marketers.

This strategy is what most people imply (even though they don’t understand) when they say, “I want to start affiliate marketing” or “I would like to start making money online through Google Adsense”. And if you’re anything like such people, you should be ready to settle for any topic or subject that goes in line with your monetization strategy. There’s no room for interest or passion here. No comfort zone! It’s strictly business!

To select a niche based on the income-driven model, all you need is objective proof that your chosen topic or subject appeals to a sizable audience and is compatible with your monetization strategy. This is where some knowledge of keyword research would come in handy.

Here are the advantages of the income-driven model

If you play your cards right, you can start a blog based on this model and start earning decently from it within 7 to 9 months.

With this model, you require few blog posts to achieve success because of the relatively narrower scope. I once started a blog based on the model, published just 10 posts on it, and 6 months later it started earning over $200 monthly.

This model makes it easy to actualize the passive income dream. That is, once a blog based on this model starts to make money, it will consistently earn income for subsequent months to years even if you do nothing to it. That’s income on autopilot — the dream of virtually everyone in online business.

Because you don’t have much to do on a blog based on this model, you have set up as many similar blogs as possible. What I do is build one to the point where it starts to earn, create another one and replicate my efforts, create a new one, and so on. This way, I’m able to diversify my income.

You can decide at any point that you want to sell off your blog. Money-spinning blogs based on this model are very lucrative, and they presently sell for between 20 – 25 times their monthly earnings. So, if your blog earns $200 per month, you can sell it for $4,000 to $5,000. Sometimes, you want to sell a blog because you’ve built additional ones that are also doing fine, or you need money for some personal projects. It’s easy for the buyer to continue running the site because you’ve done all the hard work.

And here are the disadvantages

You’ll have to write on topics that you’re not really passionate about or know nothing about. So, you’ll need to be an exceptional writer and researcher to succeed with this model.

Because it’s difficult churning out blog posts consistently on topics that you’re not knowledgeable or passionate about, chances are high that you’d get bored or frustrated shortly after starting out.

You’ll hardly be able to position yourself as an authority in your niche, especially is you run multiple sites based on the same model.

Your blog can suddenly stop earning anytime whenever something goes wrong with your major traffic or income sources. For example, if much of your traffic comes from Google, your income would crash if your blog’s position in Google results pages should drop suddenly. Similarly, if the affiliate program you’re working with suddenly decides to reduce their commission rates, your earning would inevitably drop. And because you’ve tailored your blog to your traffic generation or monetization strategy, you might be unable to switch to other options if something goes wrong with the ones you started with.

Bear in mind, however, that the 2-option categorization I’ve explained here isn’t etched in stone. You might be able to come up with a niche-model that comes under both options. But most ideas you’ll have would align wholly or for the most part with only one of both options.

2. Decide on the scope of your niche

Blog topics vary in terms of scope. Some have a wide scope, while others have a narrow scope. For example, a blog on “weight loss tips” has a wide scope, which can be narrowed down to “weight loss tips for women”, which in turn can be narrowed down to “weight loss tips for post-childbirth women”. Going further, you can consider restrict by geography to get “weight loss tips for Nigerian post-childbirth women”.

This goes without saying, but bear in mind that the narrower the scope of your topic, the less the number of people you’re focusing on, and the less the maximum traffic you’ll be able to generate. But that doesn’t necessarily mean less income because among bloggers, “specialists” are respected and trusted more than “generalists”.

Each option has its advantages and disadvantages, and you’d want to consider these carefully before making a choice. A wide-scope topic is usually not affected in the long term by stiff competition because the content featured on such blog is voluminous and variable, and at least a small fraction of that content can help to provide the needed competitive edge.

Another advantage is that wide-scope blogs can be monetized through various options. But if you’re looking at setting up and running multiple blogs, a wide-scope topic isn’t advisable because it takes time to craft enough content to cover the whole topic — sometimes, it takes forever! So, if you’re choosing a wide-scope topic, be sure to choose one that you’re very much interested in and seriously passionate about.

On the other hand, a narrow-scope topic can quickly stand out from the competition because of its narrow focus. And it’s a very good option for newbie bloggers who want to test their feet with blogging or intend to run multiple blogs because little content is required to cover the whole topic.

However, the effect of competition can be very strong. Sometimes, a narrow-topic blog would fail to make headway because there are already lots of similar blogs on the same topic. And at times, such a blog can suddenly start fizzling out after being successful because everything about it can be easily replicated by someone else, since it features a small body of information. Another disadvantage is that monetization options are usually limited.

3. Decide on your target audience

Another important part of the niche selection process is to define your target audience in terms of geography. That is, you need to specify whether you’d have your blog targeted at Nigerians only (local audience), people in another specific country such as United States (foreign audience), or readers from all over the world who are interested in your blog subject (global audience).

In all, you have 3 options there, each with its own pros and cons. Now, let’s analyze the options, so you can understand them better.

Option A: Local (Nigerian) audience

This entails choosing a blog subject and sharing information that are relevant only to Nigerians. My blog, WebIncomePlus.com, for example is targeted at a local audience because it features volumes of information on how Nigerians can make money online legitimately.

So, if your topic is one that appeals to and piques the interest of Nigerians, you might want to consider this option. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of targeting the Nigerian audience.

Advantages

Your blog would have higher chances of becoming popular and winding up as a success because there is relatively less competition.

Because you have a deep understanding of Nigeria and Nigerians, you’re more than likely to create content that they will find valuable and helpful.

Disadvantages

If your monetization strategy is affiliate marketing or selling your own information product (e-book, e-course, etc.), you might have a hard time convincing Nigerians to by whatever you’re promoting. And that’s because most Nigerian Internet users are freebie hunters. The few who are really ready to pay are afraid of getting scammed.

Generally, your blog’s earning potential is much reduced, when compared to what obtains with blogs targeted at a foreign or global audience.

Option B: Specific foreign audience

If you’re planning to blog on a topic that is popular only in the United States or United Kingdom, for instance, there’s no point tailoring your content for readers outside that country. Just craft blog posts that will appeal to readers in the country you’ve chosen, and you’d be fine.

There are various reasons why you might want to target readers in another country. For example, after discovering that Adsense cost-per-click is usually very high for content related to education in the US or UK, you might decide to create a blog that features information on how teenagers in the US or UK can easily secure admission to colleges in their country.

As another example, one of the blogs I own, BestWakeUpLights.com is targeted at Americans. I chose the American audience for two reasons: Firstly, the kind of products I review on the blog is popular and selling well in the US. Secondly, the site is monetized via the Amazon.com affiliate program (the US version of the program) which records most of Amazon’s product sales.

Here are some of the pros and cons of targeting a specific foreign audience.

Advantages

Your blog has the potential to make far more money than a blog targeted at Nigerians.

Disadvantages

Your writing skills must be near-perfect because native English speakers have zero tolerance for crappy English. They just don’t want to waste their time reading any piece ridden with obvious grammatical blunders. And they don’t trust whatever information such a piece is trying to pass across to them.

You must have a deep understanding of how readers in that country view your blog topic, so you can craft your content in such a way that it resonates well with them.

Coming up with valuable content consistently can be very difficult because you’re not based in the country your blog is targeted at.

You might face stiff competition if your topic enjoys massive readership in the country your blog is targeted at.

Option C: Global audience

If your blog topic has no geographical bias with regards to appeal, then you might want to target a global audience. That is, you don’t need to focus on readers in a specific geographic location, especially if your blog topic is already well narrowed down.

For example, if you decide to start a blog on “post-childbirth weight loss tips”, you might just want to leave your blog targeted at women all over the world who are looking to get back in shape after childbirth, since that topic already has a narrow scope.

As with other options, targeting a global audience also has its fair share of merits and demerits.

Advantages

Your blog has the potential to make far more money than a blog targeted at Nigerians.

Disadvantages

Your writing skills must be near-perfect because native English speakers (who have zero tolerance for crappy English) are also part of your audience.

You must be able to craft content that is free from any form of location bias.

You must have what it takes to make your blog stand out from heavy competition, which is usually present in most cases.

So, after choosing your blog topic or subject, you want to figure out if it would appeal to a local, foreign, or global audience. And if your topic seems to be suitable for all three options, take some more time to decide on which option to choose.

Now, how do you tell Google what your target location is, so that it would favor your blog when showing results to users from that country? You’ll learn more about the simple step involved later on. For now, let’s continue with the basics.

4. Analyze the demand and earning potential of your niche

As with business, starting a blog requires that you take your time to figure out how many people are actually interested in what you’re planning to offer on your blog.

For example, if you’ve become a guru in biology because you studied that course in the university, don’t consider starting a biology blog because biology isn’t among the topics that an appreciable number of people would actively search the web for. And you’d only compound your woes by targeting your biology blog at Nigerians. How many people go online to search for stuffs like “What is a cell?” and “Definitions of diffusion and osmosis”?

So, before you choose a niche, you must be sure that your topic or subject is one that interests a lot of people. Topics related to health, technology, news, entertainment, sports, cars, blogging, making money online, small business tips, fashion, and personal finance are a winner any day

In fact, if you’re targeting a global or foreign audience, there’s a very long list of topics to choose from. But when it comes to Nigerians, not all topics pique their interest. Topics that Nigerians actively search the web for, include technology, business ideas, making money online, fashion, cooking and recipes, education, entertainment and celebrity gossips, agriculture, tips on how to travel abroad, weddings, and freebies.

In addition, you need to understand the earning potential of your niche as well as the workable monetization options. For example, a product review blog would be better off with affiliate marketing because its visitors are in the buying mode, while an entertainment blog can only earn from ads because its target readers only want to catch some fun, not to buy something.

Bear in mind that a blog monetized with affiliate marketing or information marketing stands the chance of earning more than one monetized with Google Adsense. That’s because affiliate marketing and information marketing don’t require huge traffic to generate decent income, but earning decently and consistently with Adsense and directly sponsored ads requires massive traffic.

So, before you go with a blog topic, be sure that it would appeal to a good number of not just people, but Internet users. And how do you objectively determine the number of Internet users who are interested in your topic? The answer is simple: Find out the number of monthly searches on Google for terms related to the topic. That’s where keyword research comes in.

5. Assess your chances of success with your chosen niche

The success of your blog hinges on factors that have to do with you and factors that you can’t control. Examples of factors that depend on you include the following:

Your background knowledge of the chosen topic or your ability to research the topic extensively.

Your writing skills and ability to craft compelling content.

The amount of time, energy, and money you’re willing to invest in your blog.

How consistently you will work hard to grow your blog consistency and hard work.

Your blog promotion and traffic generation strategies.

Your monetization options.

As for these factors, you must assess yourself carefully for each of them and be sure that they align perfectly with your blog topic. If any of them doesn’t align well with your topic, consider improving on that factor or changing your blog topic, depending on the gravity of the factor you have issues with.

While there are good number of factors that don’t depend on you, one important one you can’t control is stiff competition. Unless you have a lot of money to throw around for aggressive marketing and massive brand awareness campaigns, always try to avoid niches that are already dominated by too many big players.

For example, it’s too late right now for any newbie blogger on a small budget to start a general health blog. The blog would be dead on arrival because it has the likes of WebMD, WikiPedia, Medscape, MayoClinic, Healthline, and other authority health sites to battle with. A smart way to play your game against these monster sites and boost your chances of is to narrow your scope as much as possible or target health topics that they tend to shy away from, such as alternative or natural medicine, home remedies, etc.

Similarly, starting a new entertainment and celebrity gossip blog in Nigeria right now is like setting up the blog for its own suicide. Why? Because that niche is already beaten to death in Nigeria, and people already have their go-to blogs when they need entertainment and celebrity gist. I mean, blogs like Linda Ikeji’s blog, Bella Naija, Information Nigeria, Naij.com, LadunLiadi.com, Lailasblog.com, etc. So, making headway with a new blog is almost impossible, unless you have millions of naira to spend on marketing and promotion — just like the owners of Naij.com. Or you’re cocksure you have something unique to attract people with.

In summary, if you’re not in a good position to blog on your chosen topic, wait until you can or change your topic. And more importantly, if your niche is already dominated by huge authority sites, narrow down your topic or change to a much less competitive niche.

In all, your success as a blogger hinges largely on your choice of niche. So, you just can’t afford not to get it right. Be sure to take your chosen topic through all five steps and go ahead with it only if it ticks every checkbox. Otherwise, consider a change of topic, or you’ll set out on a path of frustration and regret.

For your convenience, this post has been packaged into a FREE e-book (see picture below). To download the e-book, simply unlock the download link by sharing this post on Facebook or Twitter (use the buttons below the e-book image).

Start a Blog: Step 3 — Choose a domain name

After choosing your niche, your next step is to choose a good domain name for it. This is another area where many newbie bloggers goof.

Now, your domain name is more than just a name. It’s a brand that you’ll continue to identify with for as long as your blog exists. So, you need to choose it carefully from the start because changing it later will cost you a lot.

A lot of people choose domain names like wazzawizzy.com and lalasticlala.com simply because these names sound soothing to them. Others choose ridiculously long names like thebestwaytomakemoneyonline.com. Others choose spammy-looking ones like best-hotels-in-lagos-nigeria.com. And others, in a crazy bid to be unique, opt for domain extensions like .tk, .pw, .io, and so on. All these are mistakes!

While there are no rules etched in stone regarding choosing a domain name, there are certain conditions that an ideal domain name should meet. These include:

Short (maximum of three words)

Easy to spell and remember

Tells about the blog (niche, audience, or benefit)

No hyphens or numbers

To help you come up with a good domain name, here are some quick options:

Mention the benefit that your blog will provide (com)

Mention the intended audience (com)

Mention your blogging topic or niche (com)

You can also consider using your name if you simply love it that way or you’re unable to find another cool name that you’re satisfied with. There are more than countable successful bloggers who use their names as their domain names. But as for me, I won’t go with this option unless the blog is just for my personal opinions and thoughts.

Starting a blog: Step 4 — Develop your blogging strategy

Before going ahead to set up your blog, you need to develop a strategy. That is, a realistic plan that details how you will run and grow your blog. This is necessary if you really see blogging as business and intend to make money from it.

Here are the important elements you must address as part of your blogging strategy:

Content

Promotion

Tracking

Monetization

Element 1: Content

Content is what really makes a blog. People visit blogs to read content — nothing more. Not to salivate over the design or admire the looks of the owner. Without good content, your blog won’t make headway. So, it’s important to plan how you’ll create and publish content on your blog after setting it up. Here’s how to go about it.

Make a list of the different types of posts you’ll be publishing on your blog. Examples include tutorials and guides, opinion pieces, interviews, news updates related to your niche, statistical findings, and so on.

Decide on the format of content you’ll be publishing. Would be publishing only text? Or you’d be creating videos, too? Or you’d add infographics at intervals?

Plan how frequently you’d be publishing new posts on your blog. For a starter, aim for at least 3 times per week or even more. But bear in mind that the quality — not quantity — of your content is what really matters. Only quality and valuable content can help you grow your blog and achieve your short- and long-term blogging goals.

Do keyword research to figure out exactly what information your target audience are looking to read online. The simplest way to go about this is to use Google Suggest. In addition, visit online forums and check out sections that are related to your niche. Look out for topics that have grown into long discussions and see how you can create blog posts around such topics.

Plan how you will source for the quality information you want include in your blog posts. Your personal knowledge and experience? Or would you interview experts? Or would you just consult authority blogs in your niche and other relevant online resources?

Decide whether you’ll accept guest posts from other bloggers or not.

Element 2: Promotion

Your blog will not attract visitors automatically. No blog will! To attract readers to your blog, you need to proactively promote your blog. There are many ways to do this — from free options to paid options.

You need to decide what channels you’d be using to share your blog posts. Free options include Whatsapp, social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), email marketing (setting up a mailing list), guest blogging, and so on. Paid options include Facebook ads, placing banner or text ads on other blogs, and so on.

More importantly, your promotional efforts must be time-bound. For example, you must decide whether you’ll be sharing your posts on social media every two days or whether you’ll publish one guest post per week.

Element 3: Tracking

This simply entails monitoring your blog’s progress objectively by checking your traffic figures frequently. Tracking your blog helps you to know how many people are visiting it, which blog posts are particularly attracting more readers, and whether your traffic is waxing or waning over time.

Tracking also helps you to know if you’re achieving your goals and whether your blog is ripe for monetization or not.

Element 4: Monetization

This doesn’t have to come early if your blog is interest-based. But it doesn’t hurt to decide from the start how you want to make money from your blog. Options include offering freelance services, affiliate marketing, information marketing (your own e-books and e-courses), ad networks (Adsense, etc.), private ads, flipping, etc. The choice is yours, but always bear in mind that some options will never work for some niches, as I explained earlier on.

Finally, you should set milestones for your blog. For example, you can say, “I want this blog to have started attracting at least 500 visits per day by the sixth month, and at least 1,500 visits per day by the first year.” Another example is, “By the sixth month of starting this blog, I should have published at least 30 guest posts on other blogs in my niche.”

A good blogging strategy or plan serves as a compass that guides your blogging journey and helps you achieve success earlier than you ever imagined. Develop a realistic one, and you’d be on the track to success.

Starting a blog: Step 5 — Set up your blog

After carefully reading and implementing all of the steps I explained above, your next step is to set up your blog.

Final words

The major reason why most Nigerian bloggers fail and quit within the first year is that they started wrongly. If you’re considering starting a blog and you’ve read this post, then you’ve taken a huge step towards becoming a successful blogger.

And if you really play smartly and by the rules, you’ll share your success story with me after a couple of months 😉

For your convenience, this post has been packaged into a FREE e-book (see picture below). To download the e-book, simply unlock the download link by sharing this post on Facebook or Twitter (use the buttons below the e-book image).

If you’ve read any of my previous posts on blog or website setup, you’d have realized how sternly I warn against using Nigerian web hosting services. And that’s because they’re widely known to offer crappy services and poor support.

To be frank, my harsh opinion on Nigerian web hosting companies was based on other people’s woeful experiences with many of them. I’ve heard many sad stories from friends and have read lots of negative reviews of these companies online.

So, for years, I vowed never to try them out, let alone pitching my tent fully with any of them. And I kept true to that… until recently.

Earlier this year, I felt that it’s just plain impossible not to have at least few reliable hosting companies in Nigeria at this time and age. And I decided to figure out the few good ones myself, so I can recommend them to anyone who cannot afford hosting plans offered by foreign firms.

At the time, I wanted to register a .com.ng domain name with the aim of starting an education blog targeted at Nigerians. So, I saw that as a good opportunity to give a Nigerian hosting company a trial. After going through some recommendations I found online, I shortlisted few Nigerian web hosting services. I decided to go with Web4Africa, which was first on my list.

That very day, I registered the domain name of my choice with Web4Africa. The transaction was processed quickly, and I was sent emails confirming the success of my purchase. I logged in to my client area to modify the nameservers (DNS), but what I saw shocked me! My domain name hasn’t been activated to modification.

I waited for hours… nothing happened. I’ve used Namecheap for years, and what I’ve always known is that your domain parameters become modifiable immediately after you purchase it. Why is the experience frustratingly different with Web4Africa?

I sent several support tickets, but I got no reply until after the third day. And the reply started with no apologies. Rather the responder “went straight to the point” by telling me that the domain name has been activated and the DNS can now be modified. I heaved a sigh of relief. But that wasn’t all; I entered my DNS in the field provided only to have it reset to blank after I tried to save the changes.

At that point, I decided to forfeit both the domain name and the money I paid for it. This shitty company just proved right my long-term assertion that Nigerian web hosting companies are not worth trying out.

I shared my experience with Web4Africa on Nairaland and with some friends, and I got other recommendations about Domainking and Whogohost. But I still hesitated to give any of them a trial — no thanks to the Web4Africa experience.

Last week, I needed to start a WordPress website to promote one of my bestselling information products, and I decided that I would need a .com.ng domain name for the site. I saw that as a good chance to try out another Nigerian web hosting company. And this time, I decided to try Domainking.ng, the Nigerian subsidiary of an India-based web hosting company. They actually were not the second on my initial shortlist, but the reviews I found online about them pushed them up on my list.

Without further ado, I visited Domainking’s website. While it didn’t look spectacular, everything was clearly spelled out and navigation was smooth. I created an account without any problems, and I purchased my domain name and hosting package successfully within few minutes.

One impressive thing I noticed about Domainking.ng was that they didn’t charge me a kobo for the domain name I registered because I purchased a one-year hosting plan along with it. After the purchase, I got emails containing my receipt as well as my hosting account login information.

To be sure I won’t have the same experience I had with Web4Africa, I quickly checked to see if my domain name has been activated for modification. And that was the case! At that point, I started loving Domainking.

I proceeded to login to cPanel and install WordPress on my new domain name (yourdreamjob.com.ng). The whole process was seamless. And in the end, Domainking.ng succeeded where Web4Africa failed. I had no reason during the whole process to contact their support staff, and I’ve had no regrets so far.

Now, I’m not saying Domainking is perfect. But based on my experience with them so far, I’d readily recommend them to any Nigerian who wants to set up a blog or website and is on a very tight budget with regards to hosting.

After deciding that I’d be recommending Domainking on this blog, I contacted their sales support and requested a special promotional incentive for my readers. They gladly gave me a custom 20% discount coupon. So, anyone who uses the coupon will get a 20% discount off any hosting package on Domainking.ng — courtesy of WebIncomePlus.com

How to buy domain name and hosting from Domainking.ng

Enter your preferred domain name in the field provided, and hit the “SEARCH” button.

On the next page, you’ll be informed whether your chosen domain name is still available or not. If it’s not available, you’ll have to choose another domain name. If it’s available, select the number of years you want to register the domain name for (1 year, preferably), and hit the “Click to Continue” button.

You’ll be taken to the domains configuration page.

If you’re only registering your domain name and not buying hosting, then you can scroll to the bottom of the page and proceed to the final checkout page.

But if you’re also buying a hosting plan with Domainking, simply hit the “[No Hosting! Click to Add]” link right beside your domain name.

You’ll be taken to a page showing the various hosting plans. Choose your preferred plan, select the number of years you want to pay for, and click the “Order now” button next to it.

{NOTE: You may not even get to pay for your domain name if it’s a .com.ng type, as you get one free with some hosting plans}

You’ll be taken to the hosting plan page, where you’ll be required to select options regarding your domain name.

On the next page, add the hosting package you just selected to your shopping cart by clicking, “Add to Cart”.

You’re now back on the domains configuration page, this time showing that your domain name has a hosting plan attached to it. As for the two addon checkboxes, ignore them if you’re not sure of what they stand for (you’re likely not going to need them if you’re a beginner). Click the “Continue to Final Checkout Page” link.

The next page is the “Review & Checkout” page, where you’ll be required to enter your personal contact and payment information. In the “Promotional Code” section, enter “WIP20OFF” to get a 20% discount off your total due price. Select your Payment method (Choose Voguepay for payment with ATM card) and complete the order.

If your order is successful, you’ll be redirected to an order confirmation page, which displays your order number. After some minutes, you’ll receive some emails from Domainking. The most important of these emails will come with the subject “New Hosting Account Information”, and it contains vital information about your hosting account. Nonetheless, you should save all these emails in your inbox.

Wrap-up

For now, my search for a reliable Nigerian web hosting company has ended with Domainking.ng. But I’m not under obligation to stick with them. If they should goof, I’ll ditch them and search on!

If you take a quick look at the top ranking websites in Nigeria in terms of traffic, you’ll find sites like Jumia Nigeria, Konga, and Jiji.ng among the top contenders. This shows that Nigerians are getting more and more comfortable with buying goods and services online, and that the e-commerce industry in Nigeria is growing like a cancer.

So, if you’re looking to sell your products and services to Nigerians, one of the smartest ways to reach your target customers is to set up your own online store.

Now, your store doesn’t have to be as big as the likes of Jumia Nigeria and Konga. You can set up a small store that offers only one or few products. Just so you know, there are more-than-countable online stores in Nigeria that specialize only in products like shoes, perfumes, flowers, auto spare parts, phones, you name it. And despite the fact these stores aren’t popular, they’re making money — big time.

Setting up an online store isn’t as difficult as most people think. In this post, you’ll learn all the steps involved and gain access to all the basic information on set up your own online store here in Nigeria.

Let’s get started!

1. Choose your product

Your first step towards setting up a successful online store in Nigeria is to decide on the products you want to sell. Now, you can’t just go for any random product that comes to your mind. There are three major conditions that any product should meet before it can even make it to your list of potential offers.

Firstly, there must be good demand for the product. And if it’s a new product that isn’t popular yet, it must fill a need that is constantly felt by many people and for which there are very few or no reliable solutions yet. This is a no brainer. Only a dumb person would attempt to sell something that no one would be interested in buying.

The demand (or potential) for any product isn’t difficult to figure out. Just look around you and answer the following questions for every product idea that comes to your mind.

For already well-known products:

Are there many people buying this product?

Are there lots of online ads for this product?

Are there lots of sales for this product on Konga and Jumia Nigeria, and other popular online stores?

For products that are new to the Nigerian market:

Are there many people who would be interested in this product because it fills a significant need?

Your answers to these questions will help you figure out whether there is — or will be — enough demand for the product here in Nigeria. If you cannot get convincing answers in the affirmative, it’s better to find another idea.

Secondly, the product must be one that people are really comfortable buying online. Certain products don’t sell online due to different reasons. For example, grocery will not sell well online because grocery stores are available everywhere, and most people would prefer to do their grocery shopping locally rather than online. Moreover, some grocery items are bought for immediate consumption, so it’s unrealistic to buy them online since they would take days to deliver.

Similarly, an online suits or wears store has relatively less chances of success because most people would prefer to visit local boutiques, where they can be sure that they are choosing the right size and quality. Buying such wears online would be a huge risk, as buyers are unable to physically check and confirm the size, colour, texture, quality, and other factors they consider when buying such items.

So, you must avoid products that people are likely not to buy only for any reason.

2. Decide how you’ll source the product

After you’ve decided on what product to sell online, your next important step is to figure out how you’ll get a constant supply of the product at wholesale or cheaper prices. It goes without saying that to make profits from your online store, you need to buy at lower prices and sell at higher prices. And the higher the margin, the more money you’ll make. So, your best bet is to find suppliers with the lowest prices (for the same good quality).

Depending on the kind of products you intend selling, you can either source locally or from foreign markets. For example, products like cell phone accessories can be ridiculously cheap when you buy them directly from Chinese manufacturers on platforms like AliExpress. Products like hand-made sandals, on the other hand, tend to be cheaper when bought directly from local makers.

3. Choose and secure a domain name

Your domain name is your online identity. So, be sure to choose a good one. Your ideal choice is one that is short, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember. If it reflects what your online store is all about, that’s a plus. But be careful though; names like nairabelts.com (for an online belts store) can cause issues in the future if you decide to start selling additional products on your online store.

If you’re already running an offline store and would like to sell the same products online, you can go with the name of your offline store, if it’s still available. But in any case, pen down at least three names, so you can have alternatives if your main choice isn’t available.

In addition, it’s best to go with a .com domain name, since that’s what most people are familiar with. But if the .com extension is no longer available for your choice domain name, you can consider .com.ng or .ng extensions. For a .com domain name, you can register with Namecheap. And for a .com.ng or .ng domain name, you can register with Web4Africa or Whogohost.

4. Set up your online store

Chances are high that you won’t be able to handle this step on your own, so you’ll need to hire a seasoned website developer — unless you’re smart enough to figure things out yourself. There are lots of technical details about this step, but I’d rather keep everything simple and short.

While there are many options to choose from, the two best and most straightforward ones available to online store owners are Shopify and WordPress. While Shopify is an all-in-one solution for setting up online stores, WordPress is a versatile open-source software package that can be used to create different types of websites. Opting for Shopify means you won’t have to worry about domain name registration, hosting, and store set-up, as everything has been included in a single package. All you have to do is visit Shopify’s website and start setting up your store right away.

On the other hand, opting for WordPress means you’ll have to register your domain name and purchase a hosting plan, design your store using a good template, and integrate product pages and payment system using a good e-commerce plugin such as WooCommerce. This option requires more technical know-how than Shopify, but can be far cheaper. For Shopify, you pay more for the convenience of having everything in one place.

If you’re still lost as regards the differences, look at it this way. Assume you wish to take some fried plantain. You can either go to the nearest restaurant to buy already prepared fried plantain, or go to the market to buy raw plantains and take them home to fry on your own. Remember that the latter option would require some cooking oil, salt, and other ingredients, and you have to source everything yourself. Shopify is like the restaurant option, while WordPress is like the second option. You dig?

Another important factor you need to consider while at this step is your choice of payment gateway service. You’ll need one to be able to receive payments from customers, who would order from your store using their ATM cards. For Shopify, you can use Paystack, a Nigerian payment gateway provider that integrates seamlessly with the platform. For WordPress, you can also go with Shopify or any other reliable service in Nigeria. Other options include Interswitch and E-tranzact. Note that there are fees attached to using these services.

5. Upload product images

If you really want to attract attention to your products online, you need to display high-quality, clear, and beautiful pictures of them. Poor quality pictures will send the wrong signals about any product no matter how awesome that product might be. And good quality pictures, on the other hand, can help sell even the crappiest of products. (I’m not saying you should use quality pictures to deceive people into buying mediocre products; I’m only explaining the effectiveness of good quality pictures).

So, when creating product images to upload to your online store, you shouldn’t use your mobile phone. I know there are smartphones with badass cameras, but what you’ll get from those can’t be compared to what you’ll get from a seasoned photographer who would use a hi-tech digital camera and photo editing tools. Alternatively, you can get some high quality images of your product from the manufacturer’s website — if they have one.

Once you have the images, upload them to your store, so potential buyers can see what your product really looks like.

6. Write content for your online store

As with any other type of website, your online store will need some content for individual product pages as well as other pages such as the “Home”, “About us”, “Contact us”, and FAQ pages. You can handle this aspect yourself if you’re a very good writer. But if you’re in doubt over the quality of your writing, hire a seasoned writer to craft all the content you need. Poorly written content will create bad impressions about your online store. So, don’t ever compromise on the quality of your content.

Your home page should display some basic information about your store, products, contact details, and links to other pages on your website. Your about page should tell a brief story of your business, and yourself — if you wish. And your FAQ page will answer questions that potential customers are likely to ask about your online store, such as your refund policy, how long it takes to deliver your products to buyers, and so on.

7. Make arrangements for delivery

Delivery is one of the most important aspects of your online store’s operations, so you need to plan it carefully. You can either create your own in-house delivery system or use a third-party delivery service.

If your store is targeted at customers within a small geographical location, such as a state or city, you can have your own in-house delivery system. This would involve delivering orders with your own personal car, a newly bought vehicle dedicated for deliveries, or a hired vehicle.

But if you’re targeting a larger geographical location or cannot afford to set up an in-house system, you’d need to go with a reputable third-party delivery service. Examples of such services include KOS (Konga Online Shipping), Courier Plus, and Fedex. Some of these services accept pay-on-delivery payments on your behalf, while others do not. So, be sure to weigh your options and seek other people’s opinion before making a choice.

8. Test, test, and test

It makes zero sense when customers have issues with one or more aspects of your website. It creates a negative first impression, which will make you lose some customers forever. To avoid this, you need to test your website like crazy before launching your store. Check that all links redirect to the right pages. Check that all payments are perfectly processed. Check that your delivery system is ever-ready. And check that visitor flow and user experience on your website is flawlessly smooth.

Note that this step isn’t one you can cover on your own. You’ll have to involve your website developer. And you’ll have to ask as many people to possible to test out the store, and give you feedback. Be sure to fix all glitches discovered during the testing phase. And once you’re sure there are no glitches or issues, you can go ahead to launch your online store.

9. Launch and promote your store

With everything all set, your website is ready to start getting orders from customers. But remember that no customer will come unless you actively promote your store. So, you need to promote your store on online platforms that are often used by your target customers.

For example, if you’re selling electric breast pumps for nursing mothers, your online promotion efforts should be concentrated on Facebook groups for nursing and expectant mothers in Nigeria, relevant sections of online forums like Nairaland, Nigerian motherhood and parenting blogs, and so on. While you can promote your store on some of these channels without paying a dime, you’ll need to pay to leverage more effective channels like Facebook ads and Google Adwords.

Wrap-up

Setting up an online store is one of the quickest ways to make money online in Nigeria because you can start making money as soon as you launch your website. If you can’t be patient enough with options like affiliate marketing, information marketing, and blogging for ad revenue (Adsense), this is one option you might want to consider.

Now, that you’ve learned the steps involved in setting up an online store, let me know if you have any questions, contributions, or other thoughts.